Cricket in Bangladesh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cricket is the most popular dry season sport in Bangladesh. It is played nationwide through the months of November to May. Governance of the sport is the responsibility of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), which was established in 1972. Bangladesh is a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Asian Cricket Council. Full ICC membership was achieved in 2000 and the Bangladesh men's team played its inaugural Test match that year. The national team is known as the "Tigers" – after the Royal Bengal Tiger. The women's national team has played top-level international cricket since 2014.
Bangladesh Women
Bangladesh U-19 Men
Bangladesh U-19 Women
Bangladesh A Men
Bangladesh A Women
Bangladesh has three nationwide domestic competitions. The most lucrative is the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), a Twenty20 tournament played in January and February which attracts international players from other countries. There are two first-class championships: the National Cricket League, played by teams representing the country's administrative divisions; and the Bangladesh Cricket League, played by zonal teams.
History
Cricket was introduced to Bengal by the British in the eighteenth century. Following Partition and the creation of East Pakistan, both first-class and Test cricket were played there during the 1950s and 1960s. The sport continued to be popular after independence, especially in Dhaka, but the country lost first-class status and had to establish itself in international competition as an Associate Member of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Progress was made in the 1990s. The Bangladesh men's team won the 1997 ICC Trophy and made a good showing at the 1999 Cricket World Cup. Beginning in 1994, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) in preparation for full membership of the ICC, began instituting multi-day matches in domestic tournaments starting with the 1993-94 National Cricket Championship (with the semi-finals and final being two-day matches each of a single innings per team 60 and 80 overs respectively) and then continuing again (after a return to the traditional one day formats in 1995 and 1996) for the 1997, 1998/99 and 1999 National Cricket Championships with teams playing multiple innings over 3 days for the semi-finals and 4 days for the final. Also only for the 1998/99 season of Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League the BCB introduced two-day matches of 80 overs per side. In the 1999–2000 season, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) in the final push for full membership, created the National Cricket League (NCL). In November 2000, Bangladesh played their inaugural Test match against India at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka. The NCL was granted first-class status ahead of the 2000–01 season.
Administration
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is the principal national governing body of cricket in Bangladesh.It became an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1977,[1] and a full member on 26 June 2000.[2][3] BCB has three teams which represent Bangladesh in international cricket, which are the Bangladesh men's national cricket team, Bangladesh women's national cricket team and Bangladesh under-19 cricket team.
The board's headquarters are located at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka.[1]
National teams
The Bangladesh national cricket team is governed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and is a member of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). Since 1977, the BCB has been affiliated with ICC, the international governing body for world cricket. In 1983, the BCB became one of the founding members of the ACC.
Performance
The following list includes the performance of all of Bangladesh's national teams at major competitions.
Men's senior team
| Tournament | Appearance in finals | Last appearance |
Best performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICC Men's Cricket World Cup | 0 out of 13 | 2023 | Quarter-final (2015) |
| ICC Men's T20 World Cup | 0 out of 9 | 2024 | Super 8 (2007, 2024) |
| ICC Champions Trophy | 0 out of 8 | 2017 | Semi-final (2017) |
| ICC World Test Championship | 0 out of 3 | 2023–25 | 9th (2019-21, 2021–23) |
| Asia Cup | 3 out of 16 | 2023 | Runners-up (2012, 2016, 2018) |
| Commonwealth Games | 0 out of 1 | 1998 | Group Stage (1998) |
| Asian Games | 1 out of 3 | 2022 | Gold Medal (2010) |
Women's senior team
| Tournament | Appearance in finals | Last appearance |
Best performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICC Women's Cricket World Cup | 0 out of 12 | 2017 | 7th (2022) |
| ICC Women's T20 World Cup | 0 out of 9 | 2024 | Round 1 (2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2023) |
| Women's Asia Cup | 1 out of 9 | 2024 | Champions (2018) |
| Commonwealth Games | 0 out of 1 | 2022 | Group Stage (2022) |
| Asian Games | 2 out of 3 | 2022 | Siver Medal (2010, 2014) |
Men A team
| Tournament | Appearance in finals | Last appearance |
Best performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup | 1 out of 6 | 2024 | Runner Up (2019) |
Women's A team
| Tournament | Finals appearance |
Last appearance |
Best performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACC Women's T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup | 1 out of 1 | 2023 | Runners-up (2023) |
Men's U-19 team
| Tournament | Appearance in finals | Last appearance |
Best performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup | 1 out of 15 | 2024 | Champions (2020) |
| ACC Under-19 Asia Cup | 3 out of 11 | 2024 | Champions (2023, 2024) |
Women's U-19 team
| Tournament | Appearance in finals | Last appearance |
Best performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup | 0 out of 1 | 2023 | Super 6 (2023) |
| Under-19 Women's T20 Asia Cup | 1 out of 1 | 2024 | Runners-up (2023) |
Organisation of cricket in modern Bangladesh
International cricket
International cricket in Bangladesh generally does not follow a fixed pattern. For example, the English schedule under which the nation tours other countries during the winter and plays at home during the summer. Cricket in Bangladesh is managed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
Men's National Team
The Bangladesh National Cricket Team represents Bangladesh in international cricket matches.
Bangladesh have been participating in international cricket since 1986 and competed in international tournament since 1999 Cricket World Cup. They have competed in numerous tournaments over the years including the ACC tournaments. The Bangladesh national cricket team has also provided some of the greatest players to the world, the biggest example of which is Shakib Al Hasan. The Bangladesh men's national team is currently ranked No. 9 in Tests, No. 9 in ODIs and at 9th position in T20Is.
- Test International- After becoming a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2000, Bangladesh played their first Test match that year against India in Dhaka, becoming the tenth Test cricket playing nation. They also take part in officially sanctioned Asian Test Championship.
- One Day International- Bangladesh played their first ODI International in 1986 against Pakistan. They were not able to participate in first edition of Cricket World Cup. But in late 19s they have reached to ODI world cup consequently and in 2015 Cricket World Cup they reached quarter-finals.
- T20 International- Bangladesh played their first T20 International in 2006 against Zimbabwe. Bangladesh have made great impact in T20 international from their early day of this format. They have been playing ICC Men's T20 World Cup from first Edition, except the 2026 edition because of boycott.
Women's National Team
Bangladesh has an active women's team which gained One Day International status after finishing 5th at the 2011 Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier. The women's team also claimed the silver medal at the 2010 Asian Games cricket tournament and won the 2018 Women's Asia Cup.The Bangladesh Women's national team is also currently ranked No. 7 in ODIs and at 9th position in T20Is.
- One Day International- Bangladesh played their first ODI International in 2011 against Ireland. They were not able to participate in first edition of Women's Cricket World Cup. But in latest 2022 edition they have been able to participate.
- T20 International-Bangladesh played their first T20 International in 2012 against Ireland. Bangladesh Women's have made great impact in T20 international from their early day of this format. They have been participating in ICC Women's T20 World Cup from third edition consequently.
Domestic Cricket
Men's Domestic Cricket
First class competitions
- National Cricket League - Soon after the establishment of the BCB, a cricket league commenced in Dhaka and Chittagong at district (regional) level. It became a national tournament in 1974–75. Other tournaments were organised at school, college, youth and university levels.The National Cricket League was founded in the 1999–2000 season ahead of Bangladesh being promoted to full membership of the ICC. It became a first-class competition in 2000–01. It involves eight teams, seven representing administrative divisions and one from the Dhaka Metropolis. There are eight administrative divisions but Mymensingh is not represented. Since the 2015–16 season, the league has been split into two tiers with promotion and relegation. In the 2022–23 tournament, won by Rangpur Division, the structure was as follows:[4]
- Bangladesh Cricket League - A second first-class tournament, the Bangladesh Cricket League, was launched in 2012. This has a similar concept to India's Duleep Trophy as the contestants are zonal teams: Central, South, East and North Zones. The most successful team has been South Zone with five league titles between 2014 and 2020.[5]
Limited overs competitions
Twenty20 competitions
Women's Domestic Cricket
First class competitions
Limited overs competitions
Stadiums
Active Stadiums
| Stadium | City | First-class side(s) | Capacity | First used | Ends | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium | Dhaka | Dhaka Division (2006-present) | 26,000 | 8 December 2006 | • AKS End • Shah Cements End | [6] |
| Bir Shrestho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Cricket Stadium | Chattogram | Chattogram Division (2005–present) | 22,000 | 26 February 2006 | • Walton End • Isphani End | [7] |
| Sylhet International Cricket Stadium | Sylhet | Sylhet Division (2000–present) | 18,500 | 17 March 2014 | • UCB End • Runner End | [8] |
International competitions hosted
Performance in international competitions
A red box around the year indicates tournaments played within Bangladesh
| Champions | |
| Runners-up | |
| Semi-finals | |
Men's team
ICC World Test Championship
| ICC World Test Championship records | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years Final Host |
Final | Position | GP | W | D | L | PCT% |
2019–2021  | DNQ | 9th (9) | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4.8 |
| 2021–2023 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 11.0 | ||
| 2023–2025 |
- (9) | 12 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 31.25 | |
| 2025-2027 |
Qualified | ||||||
| Total | 0 Title | 3/3 | 31 | 5 | 2 | 24 | – |
ICC Cricket World Cup
| ODI World Cup records | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host Years |
Round | Position | Mat | W | L | T | NR |
| 1975 | Not eligible (Not an ICC Member) | ||||||
| 1979 | Did not qualify | ||||||
 1983 | |||||||
  1987 | |||||||
  1992 | |||||||
 1996 | |||||||
  1999 | Group Stage | 9th (12) | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
   2003 | 13th (14) | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | |
 2007 | Super 8 | 7th (16) | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
 2011 | Group Stage | 9th (14) | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | Quarter-finals | 7th (14) | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 2019 | Group Stage | 8th (10) | 9 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 2023 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | ||
 2027 | To be determined | ||||||
| 2031 |
Qualified as co-hosts | ||||||
| Total | Super 8 (2007); Quarter-finals (2015) | 7/15 | 51 | 16 | 32 | 0 | 3 |
ICC T20 World Cup
| T20 World Cup records | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host Years |
Round | Position | Mat | W | L | T | NR |
| 2007 | Super 8 | 8th (12) | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | Group Stage | 10th (12) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 |
2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2012 | 9th (12) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014 | Second Round | 10th (16) | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 |
7 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | ||
  2021 |
11th (16) | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 9th (16) | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
 2024 | Super 8 | 7th (20) | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2026 |
Qualified | ||||||
| 2028 | To be determined | ||||||
  2030 | |||||||
| Total | Super 8 (2007, 2024) | 9/9 | 44 | 12 | 31 | 0 | 1 |
ICC Champions Trophy
| ICC Champions Trophy record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host Years |
Round | Position | MP | W | L | T | NR |
| 1998 | Not eligible | ||||||
| 2000 | Pre-quarter-final | 10th (11) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | Group Stage | 11th (12) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2006 | Qualifying Round | 9th (12) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2013 | |||||||
| 2017 | Semi-finals | 4th (8) | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2025 | Qualified | ||||||
| 2029 | To be determined | ||||||
| Total | Semi-finals (2017) | 5/9 | 12 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
Asia Cup
| Asia Cup record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | T | NR |
| 1984 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 1986 | Group Stage | 3rd (3) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1990–91 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1995 | 4th (4) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1997 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2000 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2004 | Super 4 | 4th (6) | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2010 | Group Stage | 4th (4) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | Runners up | 2nd (4) | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | Group Stage | 5th (5) | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | Runners up | 2nd (5) | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 |
2nd (6) | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2022 | Group Stage | 5th (6) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Super 4 | 3rd (6) | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 |
Qualified | ||||||
| 2027 |
Qualified as Hosts | ||||||
| 2029 |
Qualified | ||||||
| 2031 | |||||||
| Total | Runners-up (2012, 2016, 2018) | 19/20 | 55 | 12 | 43 | 0 | 0 |
ICC Trophy/ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier
Known as the 'ICC Trophy' from 1979 to 2005.
Commonwealth Games
| Commonwealth Games records | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | T | NR | |
 1998 | Group stage | 14th | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | Group Stage | 1/1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
Asian Games
All matches in the 2010 and 2014 seasons were counted as T20s. Since the announcement of T-20 matches between all members having international status from 1 January 2019, all matches from the 2022 season onward are granted as T20Is.
| Asian Games record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | T | NR |
 2010 | Gold medal | 1st | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
 2014 | Bronze medal | 3rd | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | 3rd | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
 2026 | TBD | ||||||
| Total | 1 Title | 3/3 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Defunct tournaments
Asian Test Championship
| Asian Test Championship record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | D | NR | |
| 1998–99 | Not eligible | |||||||
| 2001–02 | First round | 3rd | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | First Round | 1/2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
Austral-Asia Cup
| Austral-Asia Cup record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | T | NR | |
| 1986 | Did not participate | |||||||
| 1990 | First round | 6th | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1994 | Did not participate | |||||||
| Total | First round | 1/3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
ACC Trophy
| ACC Trophy records | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | T | NR |
| 1996 | Champion | 1st | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
 1998 | 1st | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Total | 2 Titles | 2/2 | 13 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Women's team
ICC Women's Cricket World Cup
ICC Women's T20 World Cup
ICC Women's T20 Champions Trophy
| ICC Women's T20 Champions Trophy records | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host Year |
Round | Position | GP | W | L | T | NR | |
| 2027 | To be determined | |||||||
 2031 | To be determined | |||||||
| Total | – | 0 Title | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier
ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier
| ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier records | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host Year |
Round | Position | GP | W | L | T | NR | |
| 2013 | Did not participate | |||||||
 2015 | Runners-up | 2/8 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2018 | Champions | 1/8 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2019 | Champions | 1/8 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2022 | Champions | 1/8 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024 | Did not participate/Qualified as host into the main tournament | |||||||
| 2026 | To be determined | |||||||
| Total | 4/6 | 3 Titles | 20 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
Women's Asia Cup
Asian Games
| Asian Games records | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host Year |
Round | Position | GP | W | L | T | NR | |
| 2010 | Silver medal | 1/8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 2/10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2022 | Bronze medal | 3/9 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Total | Silver medal | 0 Titles | 10 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
South Asian Games
| South Asian Games records | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host Year |
Round | Position | GP | W | L | T | NR | |
| 2019 | Champions | 1/4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2025 | To be determined | |||||||
| Total | Champions (2019) | 1 Title | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Defunct Tournament
ACC Women's Tournament
| ACC Women's Tournament records | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host Year |
Round | Position | GP | W | L | T | NR | |
| 2007 | Champions | 1/8 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | Champions (2007) | 1 Title | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Men's U-19 team
U-19 World Cup
| Bangladesh U19 Cricket World Cup record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Pos | № | Pld | W | L | T | NR |
| 1988 | Part of ICC Associates XI | |||||||
| 1998 | Group stage | 9th | 16 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 |
Group stage | 10th | 16 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2002 |
Group stage | 11th | 16 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2004 |
Group stage | 9th | 16 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 |
Quarter Finals | 5th | 16 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 |
Quarter Finals | 7th | 16 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 |
Group stage | 9th | 16 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 |
Quarter Finals | 7th | 16 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 |
Group stage | 9th | 16 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 |
Semi Finals | 3rd | 16 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 |
Quarter Finals | 6th | 16 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 |
Champions | 1st | 16 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 |
Quarter Finals | 8th | 16 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 |
Super Sixes | 7th | 16 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2026 | To be determined | |||||||
| Total | 1 Title | 87 | 59 | 26 | 1 | 2 | ||
U-19 Asia Cup
| Bangladesh U19 Asia Cup record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Pos | № | Pld | W | L | T | NR |
| 1989 |
Did not participate | |||||||
| 2003 |
Group stage | 4th | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 |
5th | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014 |
8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2016 |
Semi Finals | 3rd | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 |
8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2018 |
8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2019 |
Runners up | 2nd | 8 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021 |
Semi Finals | 3rd | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2023 |
Champions | 1st | 8 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 |
8 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 2 Titles | 40 | 24 | 14 | 0 | 2 | ||
Women's U-19 team
Under-19 Women's World Cup
Under-19 Women's Asia Cup
| Bangladesh U19 Cricket World Cup record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Pos | № | Pld | W | L | T | NR |
| 2024 |
Runners-up | 2nd | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Runners-up | – | – | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Men's A team
ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup
Women's A team
ACC Women's T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup
In Bangladeshi culture
Cricket holds a significant position in the culture of Bangladesh. Matches are played before large audiences both at grounds and on TV and other media.
