Bangladesh Cricket

                                BANGLADESH CRICKET

Now it’s time to share a story. A story of perseverance. A story of heartbreaks. A story of success. A story that captivated the millions. This is the story of Bangladesh Cricket.

It all started in 1979 with the ICC trophy, Bangladesh made their first impact on the international cricketing scene.7 years later through trials and tribulations Bangladesh made their ODI debut against Pakistan though they lost the match comprehensively. Success did not come easy for the tigers as they were on a 22 match losing streak. The streak was finally broken when Bangladesh defeated Kenya to post their first ODI win. The crown jewel for Bangladesh at that time was to qualify for the world cup, which was accomplished in 1997 when Bangladesh defeated Kenya in dramatic fashion to win the 1997 ICC trophy thus qualifying for the 1999 world cup. The win sent shockwaves through the nation. Fans of all ages and religion gathered on the streets hosting celebratory rallies. The feeling among the nation and its people was something that could be compared to the 1971 War of liberation. This was the first time the world understood how important cricket was to the Bangladeshi people. For us it was never just a game, it was our religion.

1999 World Cup, the tigers pulled off a massive upset by defeating Pakistan. It was the first time Bangladesh defeated a test playing nation.  Bangladesh did not qualify for the Super Six round due to defeats in three of its five matches. However, the win over Pakistan, who finished runners-up to Australia helped Bangladesh to gain Test playing status the following year.  In preparation for becoming a Test playing country, Bangladesh established its own first-class competition in 1999—2000. In May and June 2000, Bangladesh hosted the Asia Cup; Bangladesh lost all three of their matches and when playing Pakistan succumbed to what at the time was the heaviest defeat in ODIs, a margin of 233 runs. In November of 2000 Bangladesh made its test debut against India, though they played some quality cricket in the first innings India triumphed convincingly. The following years for Bangladesh was hard as they lost almost every game but there were also short glimpses of talent. Bangladesh defeated India in 2004 and Australia in 2005, what was at that point considered major upsets.2007 World Cup, Bangladesh made international headlines when they knocked India out of the cup and later defeated South Africa on their home turf. This world cup saw the rise of the future cricketing stars of Bangladesh; Shakib,Tamim and Mushfiq all made their first mark on international cricket.