Former captains Habibul Bashar, Minhajul Abedin Nannu, and Khaled Mashud Pilot didn't mince words: this isn't just a passing stumble. It's a full-blown crisis in Bangladesh cricket.
Despite posting an imposing 205 for five in the second and penultimate T20I on Monday, the Tigers fell apart in the field, suffering their first-ever loss to the hosts in any format.
The decision was taken following discussions between Emirates Cricket Board and Bangladesh Cricket Board.
Known primarily for his left-arm spin, Rakibul is beginning to showcase the kind of all-round ability that could one day earn him a similar status. His recent match-winning performances with both bat and ball in the emerging team suggest that Bangladesh may have found a new dual-threat talent in the making.
The least the board can do is maintain a basic line of communication and show they care about engagement beyond the boundary.
With a five-T20I tour of Pakistan to follow, and the Asia Cup likely to be staged in the UAE, these games offer a timely opportunity to assess conditions and sharpen plans.
As it seems, the dilemma for Bangladesh remains: is Shanto worth the tactical compromise?
A Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) official on Thursday said that they have received clearance from the government regarding the Tigers' upcoming tour of Pakistan later this month.
The two sides will now play a two-match four-day series, with the first game starting on May 14 in Sylhet.
High-scoring fixtures have been one of the highlights of the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) with the wickets in both Dhaka and Sylhet receiving applause from all corners for providing exciting contests so far in the meet.
Former BCB director Khaled Mahmud Sujon came down heavily on the pair of Faruque Ahmed and Nazmul Abedeen over perceived 'greed' related to cricket operations department. Faruque, as the BCB president is currently heading the department as no standing committees are yet to be announced with only few board directors available.
In previous years, star cricketers like Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Jason Holder, and Imran Tahir, who are generally seen ruling the franchise tournaments across the world, featured for different BPL franchises but this year, none of these players will be playing in the country’s sole franchise-based T20 tournament.
In opening day’s fixtures, reigning champions Fortune Barishal will take on newcomers Durbar Rajshahi at 01:30pm while Rangpur Riders will face Dhaka Capitals in the second match at 06:30pm.
As for the year that is winding down, it was neither an overarching triumph nor a debilitating failure. The stench of mediocrity was present, but so was vivacious tenacity. Above all, it was an interesting year in cricket for Bangladesh -- one that fans would not forget soon.
Poor string of scores is nothing new for the 30-year-old as he has gone on a run of registering single-digit scores for three or more matches on the trot on four different phases in his 50-over career but this is the longest he has gone without reaching double digits.
The left-arm pacer, who opted out from West Indies ODIs citing family reasons, announced the news on social media.
This week, what Yashasvi Jaiswal did at Perth and what the Bangladesh batters failed to do in Antigua could be enough to realise why the two countries are on opposite sides of the spectrum in Test cricket.
A field altercation between players from both teams prompted an investigation by the CCDM Technical Committee.
Bangladesh premier all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is not sweating over when he could next appear for the Tigers at the moment, mentioning that he is now focusing on the upcoming Abu Dhabi T10 tournament, which is set to begin today.
