The Summaries of Bangladesh Cricket in 2019 – Part I
Year 2019 has not threatened Bangladesh very well at least in the Cricket world. From their one-day international and test series losses to New Zealand at the beginning of 2019 to their crushing 0-2 loss in Tests at the hands of India later in the year, the Tigers find themselves more on the receiving end with their down-to-earth results during the year. Bangladesh cricket was engulfed by many controversies and scandals in the second half of year 2019. With Sakib Al- Hasan, an all rounded, being suspended for two years by ICC and and Bangladesh Cricket Board Director Lokman Hossain Bhuiyan being arrested for operating an illegal casino in Mohammedan Sporting Club. It was expected that the performance would not be the top for the national team at the 2019 ICC World Cup in England and Wales. However, they struggled to perform, winning just three games to end eighth in the 10-player tournament. The Tigers have finished the year without playing or drawing a single test match for the first time since 2010.
The incredible run of Sakib in the World Cup, the three-series win in Ireland against the hosts and the West Indies and the men’s and women’s cricket gold medals at the South Asian Games in Nepal were the rare instances of wonderfulness in the otherwise subdued year of Bangladesh cricket.
Here are the recap moments of Bangladesh Cricket in 2019.
The Favorable Moments
After being defeated by the Kiwis in New Zealand in February to March 2019, Bangladesh’s national team bounced back firmly by winning their maiden multi-team tournament when they captured the Irish tri-series against the West Indies and the hosts in May. Bangladesh qualified to the final by staying unbeaten in the league process and beating the West Indies by five-wicket to break their trophy wait. Given the poor result in the World Cup, Sakib has managed to steal the show by scoring 606 runs in 8 innings at an average of 86.67. He was also the third one on the run-getters list meanwhile claiming 11 wickets at the same time.
In September, Bangladesh shared the T20 three match series trophy with Afghanistan and the other team was Zimbabwe, after rain abandons the final in Dhaka. The tigers tasted their first victory in India against the home team. They had ended their eight-match losing streak against India by securing a seven-wicket win in the first T20 of the tri-series. In the 13th South Asian Games in December, Bangladesh men’s Under-23 team secured a gold medal by beating the Sri Lankan counterparts with seven wickets in the final. In addition to that, their women’s compatriots defeated the same two-run opposition in the final to attach another gold medal to Bangladesh’s trophy. After becoming champions in the qualifiers in Scotland, Bangladesh women’s team also progressed to ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. They have impressed everyone with a 4-1 series win against Kiwis in New Zealand and advanced to the finals of a three-match series in England and Asia Cup at home separately.
