Bangladesh’s dominant victory in New Zealand marked a positive conclusion to a year of disappointment, but it was little consolation for the Tigers’ abysmal performance in their preferred format – the ODIs.
On Saturday, the Kiwis were defeated by nine wickets by the side led by Najmul Hossain Shanto, putting an end to Bangladesh’s 18-match losing sequence in ODIs against the hosts in New Zealand.
However, this historic victory followed a string of setbacks in the Tigers’ ODI campaign in 2023, which marked their worst year in the format to date.
In ODIs, 2023 has been the busiest year for Bangladesh ever. They have participated in 32 matches over the course of six bilateral series, alternating between home and away contests, the Asia Cup in August-September, and the ICC World Cup in October-November.
The Tigers began the year with considerable promise, but as the season unfolded, their initial sense of optimism diminished.
Only eleven ODIs were won by the Tigers this year, equating to one victory every three matches.
They were defeated four times in six bilateral series, twice at home and twice abroad, by England and Afghanistan, and New Zealand.
Their only two series victories were against the Irish; the first occurred in Bangladesh in March, and the second occurred in Ireland two months later.
The Tigers’ three-out-of-five losses in the Asia Cup, which was staged in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, were also unsatisfactory, but they paled in comparison to their dismal performance at the World Cup.
Bangladesh performed poorly in the tournament for the first time in twenty years, falling seven out of nine times, including a loss to the Netherlands.
It was difficult to trust the team’s abysmal performance after finishing third in the ODI Super League and having won a series against India at home and against the Proteas in South Africa the year prior.
However, what these statistics fail to indicate is that while Bangladesh, frantic to win, always utilized their best available XI in the Super League, the other teams frequently performed without their finest players.
ODIs have become less significant in the majority of leading cricketing nations due to the emergence of Twenty20 franchise cricket; numerous players have chosen to withdraw from bilateral series.
Additionally, the boards have become more prudent in their management of the burden of their finest cricketers, frequently resting them during ODIs in order to preserve their fitness for Tests and ICC events.
As a consequence, leading nations such as Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and India frequently participated in bilateral series with understrength squads, thereby testing and augmenting their player pools.
However, Bangladesh persisted in their strategy of consistently selecting the most talented players at their disposal, even after they had secured qualification for the World Cup. This inclination proved detrimental during the tournament, as it necessitated the selection of unproven players.
Despite this tactical error, Bangladesh ought to have performed better in at least the home ODIs.
However, with the exception of the England series, which they lost 1-2, the home series against New Zealand and Afghanistan both occurred during the Tamim Iqbal controversy, which obviously did not assist the team’s case.
Regardless of the cause, the miserable 2023 has severely eroded the widespread conviction that Bangladesh are a leading ODI side and indicates the need for a course of action.