Caught in a perfect storm, Tigers grasping at straws

Consecutive defeats on the ground, chaos at the board and regression in the rankings -- all have combined to create a perfect storm for Bangladesh cricket in the last few days, one that has left fans, and the players, grasping at straws to somehow keep their love for the game and the Bangladesh team from fading into oblivion.

The month of May began with the men's team dropping to 10th in the ODI rankings for the first time in nearly two decades in the first week, and it concluded with them falling to 10th position in the T20I rankings as well.

In between, the Tigers suffered a 2-1 series defeat against the UAE, their second bilateral T20I series defeat against an associate team in 13 months, having lost by the same margin against the USA in May 2024.

The wounded Tigers then travelled to Lahore and copped even more blows, conceding comprehensive losses in back-to-back T20Is against Pakistan.

While Litton Das' team was getting outclassed by a Pakistan team that are going through a transition period, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) went through a change in presidency for the second time in nine months.

After weeks of speculation, Faruque Ahmed was removed as the board president following an unprecedented show of no-confidence from the majority of the board directors and the National Sports Council (NSC) rescinding his directorship.

Aminul Islam Bulbul replaced Faruque at the helm and promised to make positive changes, something his predecessor had also done after assuming power, but was ultimately dethroned from the BCB almost as dramatically as he had been crowned.

With dark clouds hovering all around and no silver lining in sight, Bangladesh cricket is going through its worst period in recent memory. The only thing that could lift the gloom, even momentarily, is if the Tigers pull up their socks and achieve a face-saving win over Pakistan in the third and final T20I set to take place today.

The match, which will take place at the Gaddafi Stadium, is a dead rubber, as Pakistan have already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

However, Bangladesh will not only be playing for pride today, they will also be vying to make history by defeating Pakistan in Pakistan in T20Is for the first time.

But a victory seems far-fetched going by how Bangladesh have fared so far in the series, falling miserably short of chasing a target of 202 in both matches.

Bangladesh lost the first match by 37 runs, after losing momentum and wickets in the middle of the chase.

But the visitors did not learn from their mistakes at all, as even after getting off to a flying start, reaching 38-0 after three overs, they lost five wickets in just 23 balls and squandered any hopes of a series-levelling win.

Number nine batter Tanzim Sakib's maiden half-century pushed the total to 144 all out in 19 overs as they lost the game by 57 runs. After such defeats, the chances of a victory seem slim. But another meek surrender could potentially push many Bangladesh fans beyond their breaking point and push Bangladesh cricket deeper into the throes of despair.