Bangladesh Test cricket turned into 20, surpassing their teen-age phase, but in all likelihood the country has not been able to stave off the juvenile delinquency in the most elite form of the game since they were incepted through the historical inaugural Test match against India on November 10, 2000 at Bangabandhu National Stadium.
Over the last few years, the Tigers have hunted down some big scalps thanks to slow, low and turning home pitches and by deploying as many slow bowlers as possible against the sides who are often found vulnerable in these conditions against spin bowling.
However, the record on the road is abysmal for the men in red and green as their perennial struggle against fast, short-pitched balls refused to go away.
But, most importantly, the structure of processing a winning Test side has not been formulated and it is evident as the controllers of the game in the country always aspired to get success on cash - producing short formats - rather than hoist the country’s flag high in the most prestigious, ultimate format of the game.
As a result, Bangladesh ascended to a “rather respectable” side in the 50-over format with wins here and there but without proper base of Test cricket, this progress has not been stable and depended largely on personal performances on a given day.
Talking about personal performances, the record of Mushfiqur Rahim, one of the most solid and consistent performers for the country, would show the picture properly.
The wicketkeeper-batsman made his debut at the age of 16 back in 2005 and has played 70 Tests so far.
Bangladesh Cricket : The Tigers wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim believes the Test side have the ability to improve...
Posted by Sports Tribune on Thursday, 7 May 2020
Meanwhile, Alastair Cook, the English legend, made his debut a year later in 2006 in Nagpur, retired two years ago but ended his career with over 11,000 runs playing 161 Tests, more than double of Mushfiq in lesser time.
Comparing Mushfiq, who is still going strong, with Cook may not be ideal considering the gap of their batting ability, but the comparison between Bangladesh’s highest run getter and appearance holder and the Essex cricketer illustrates the gap between the sides, and more importantly, how their approach vary differently in five-day cricket.
As a matter of fact, Cook played 161 Tests in 12 years while Bangladesh featured in just 119 in 20 years, this tells everything about the story.
The difference may be cultural but the people who are responsible to overcome the gap never really showed true attempt or sincerity.
Bangladesh, at least in the eyes of many western media, were given the Test status or full membership prematurely to bolster the strength of sub-continent in ICC and the most potent force behind this recognition was the massive support, hence the market in the country of over 160m people.
In marketing sense, cricket thrived and the organizers would be content as the cricket board has become one of the richest in the world and the fervor for the national team knows no bounds thanks to juxtaposition of jingoist-like-nationalism and rare success in shorter forms.
But, Test cricket remained neglected, a pale child whereas the colorful, money-spinning ODIs and T20s gets all the attention from organizers, broadcasters and spectators alike.
Dhaka Tribune recalls five memorable Test victories of Bangladesh Cricket : The Tigers in their 20 years’ journey in the longest format of the game.
Posted by Sports Tribune on Friday, 26 June 2020
However, the success and glory of a nation in the cricketing fraternity is not gauged by mere revenue generation and rare success without robust base and pipeline.
The success in Test cricket brings the ultimate benchmark for a nation.
One can only speculate if Mushfiq, a technically brilliant and super-fit player would have done had he gotten the chance of playing over 150 Tests in his long career.
But, it is safe to assume the more opportunities would help him and his colleagues, who often seem flummoxed in the rare occasion of a Test match, get more confidence, understand the nous of the game better and establish them in cricket’s hall of fame.
Bangladesh’s Test cricket has stepped into its 20s, the most creative and energetic phase of a human life, and a well-wisher of the game can only hope in that epoch, the men in red green gets ample opportunities to make their names in the Test arena.
One should remember, improving Test cricket will also help players get solid success in the shorter formats as well and ultimately that will also bring even greater commercial success.