Where Bangladesh falls behind the Champions Trophy

ODI is Bangladesh's preferred format, and when evaluating the country's cricket achievements, this format is always the first to be considered. Despite its popularity, there are challenges for cricketers in adapting to this format. So, how prepared is Bangladesh for the Champions Trophy in the ODI format?

Only the Bangladesh team can truly assess their readiness. However, Bangladesh has not played any ODIs leading up to the tournament. Unlike Bangladesh and Afghanistan, the other six teams will play ODIs before the Champions Trophy. India and England's three-match ODI series starts tomorrow. Australia, currently involved in a Test series in Sri Lanka, will still play two ODIs against Sri Lanka, although Sri Lanka did not qualify for the Champions Trophy. Meanwhile, Champions Trophy teams Pakistan, New Zealand, and South Africa will participate in a tri-nation series. While Bangladeshi cricketers are playing, it’s in the T20 format. Additionally, there are questions about how much the recent BPL has helped prepare the Bangladeshi players. Bangladesh captain Nazmul Hossain Fortune was left out of Barisal's XI in the controversial BPL Champions Trophy. Many national team players, including Mushfiqur and Zaker Ali, struggled to perform at their best. This follows the painful memory of losing 3-0 in the last ODI series, a whitewash by the West Indies in December, where Bangladesh lost despite posting 321 runs in the final match. Earlier, Bangladesh also lost a 3-match ODI series against Afghanistan in November, with a 2-1 defeat.

Moreover, ODIs are becoming less frequent. Last year, only 104 ODIs were played across 20 teams, marking the lowest number since 2016, excluding the COVID-affected years of 2020 and 2021. The question of adaptation looms large!