The list of achievements for Bangladesh cricket in the year 2015 has never been anything like before. The year saw the once perennial minnows of south Asian cricket turn a corner over the span of 12 months, especially in ODIs. Series wins over giants Pakistan, India and South Africa were huge but the most cherishable memory is perhaps how the Tigers managed to completely change the opponents’ perception towards them, especially at their own backyard.
It has been almost 30 years since Bangladesh emerged into the top limited-over cricket arena. The journey has been tough, given the countless humiliating defeats while negligence by their counterparts was a common phenomenon.
But through sheer determination and enthusiasm, Bangladesh achieved a lot of glory this year and the jubilation doubles when one considers the tough run of form the Tigers experienced in 2014.
Bangladesh’s transformation was masterminded in the dressing room where head coach Chandika Hathurusingha carefully drafted all his plans. Credit should also be reserved aplenty for ODI and T20 captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza. The duo should be acknowledged for reviving the players’ passion and hunger.
And on the field, seniors like Shakib al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah, among others, stepped up to the occasion and boosted the morale of the Tigers’ camp with eye-catching performances.
The seniors’ displays lifted the confidence level of the team to an all-time high and youngsters in Mustafizur Rahman, Soumya Sarkar and Sabbir Rahman duly followed up the good work of their team mates with jaw-dropping acts.
The end result – Bangladesh won 13 out of 18 ODIs this year to see them rise to seventh position in the ICC rankings; the Tigers’ highest ever. In the process, they also qualified for the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.
Where it all started
The majority of 2014 was a horror show for Bangladesh cricket but the Tigers ensured some consolation when they thrashed Zimbabwe in both the Test and ODI series’ in the latter part of the year. And thus began Bangladesh’s memorable journey.
Turning the tables
The series wins over Zimbabwe had injected enough fuel into the Tigers’ tank ahead of the 2015 ICC World Cup. In order to make the most use of their time in hand, the Tigers’ think-tank decided to send the cricketers in Brisbane for a conditioning camp. Looking back in time and going by the results down under, the camp has indeed proved to be decisive as the cricketers got enough time to acclimatise themselves with the cold conditions. The Tigers started strong in the main event, thumping Afghanistan before ousting England on their way to the quarter-finals for the first time in history. With almost no pressure on their shoulders, the Tigers almost beat high-flying New Zealand but the cricket-mad fans didn’t mind as they were bracing themselves for the high-voltage last-eight clash against India. The match itself however, failed to live up to its billing as a controversial no-ball from umpire Aleem Dar, which was supported ludicrously by fellow official Ian Gould, brought Bangladesh’s journey to an abrupt halt.
The roar continues
The Tigers were better for the bitter experience and in the intervening months, showcased their true potential. First up, it was Pakistan’s turn to face the music. Centuries from Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim secured a comprehensive 79-run for the Tigers in the first ODI. Tamim hammered another heroic hundred in the second game to seal the series victory. In the third game, it was emerging star Soumya who remained unbeaten on 127 to complete the series sweep. The hosts carried the momentum to the lone T20 international where Shahid Afridi’s Pakistan suffered a seven-wicket humiliation. Pakistan were successful in taking the Test series title back home but not before some record-breaking feats by Tamim and Imrul Kayes in the Khulna five-dayer. The partnership rescued their side from the scare of a sure defeat and their 312-run stand, highest opening association in the second innings of a Test, meant Bangladesh would eventually go on and draw the tie. Tamim went on to make 206, the Tigers’ highest individual score in five-dayers, while Kayes scored 150.
The unearthing of a gem
The nation was emotional for obvious reasons and were eagerly waiting to host India. And the Tigers did not disappoint their supporters as they bagged an impressive 2-1 win in the one-dayers. The lone Test of the series was affected by rain and ultimately petered out in a dull draw but the ODIs saw a remarkable upturn in the weather. Step forward cutter-specialist Mustafiz, who is probably Bangladesh’s best find in recent years. The 20-year old from Satkhira frustrated and bamboozled the Indian batsmen with a five-for and a six-for in the first and second game respectively as the Tigers humbled the visitors en route to a brilliant series win. The Tigers’ next assignment was yet another home series, this time against South Africa. The hosts initially struggled against the Proteas in the two-match T20I series and in the first ODI before fighting back against all odds to claim the second and third ODI with Mustafiz and Soumya turning out to be chief architects behind the series triumph. Zimbabwe then bore the brunt of the Tigers’ force as they fell to a whitewash in the ODI series and the subsequent 1-1 draw in the two T20Is failed to take the gloss off in what was an extremely memorable year for the Tigers.