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Look back at 2024

A Pivotal Year of Transformation in Bangladesh Cricket

Published : Tuesday, 31 December, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 362
Ahasan Uddin Bhuiyan
Bangladesh cricket's 2024 journey was a rollercoaster of historic victories and unexpected setbacks, marked by leadership changes and standout individual performances. A lot of on and off-field incidents make the year memorable. The month of December however, brought ample success. The every pros and cons of Bangladesh cricket throughout the year is explored here. 

Birds eye view on performances
Bangladesh's cricket journey in 2024 showcased mixed results, combining historic milestones with significant disappointments. The team began the year poised to play a record number of Tests, securing three victories out of ten matches. The specialty of those wins were all on foreign soil. A notable highlight was the historic whitewash against Pakistan in their home territory, ending a 20-match winless streak in three decades. Another standout moment was their victory in Jamaica during a Test series against the West Indies, marking a rare triumph in a region where Bangladesh has traditionally struggled. However, the team endured heavy defeats in seven other Tests including comprehensive losses in India and disappointing home whitewashes against Sri Lanka and South Africa.
The ODI format, traditionally considered Bangladesh's strongest, proved to be their most disappointing this year. Bangladesh played three bilateral series. Despite a 2-1 home series win against Sri Lanka in March, they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Afghanistan in Sharjah in November. Then, they went to the West Indies in the latter part of the year to be whitewashed. 
Bangladesh's performance was statistically their best year in T20i format, with 12 wins in 24 matches. They won a home series against Sri Lanka but faced setbacks including a shocking series defeat to the United States ahead of the T20 World Cup. Despite these struggles, they progressed to the Super Eights stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 by defeating Sri Lanka, the Netherlands and Nepal but fell short against Australia, India and Afghanistan at Super-8 stage. A four-one T20i series win against Zimbabwe contributed significantly to their statistical success.

The year's most encouraging moment came late in the season as a depleted Bangladeshi side whitewashed the two-time world champion West Indies, showcasing resilience and a promising style of play that offers hope for the future.

Bangladesh's women's cricket team faced a disappointing 2024 marked by limited matches and inconsistent performances. The team played only six ODIs suffering a whitewash against Australia in March but securing a 3-0 win over Ireland later in the year. However, their T20i performance was particularly lackluster with only three wins out of 19 matches. Two of those victories came against weaker opponents Malaysia and Thailand during the Asia Cup. In the T20 World Cup, they managed a single win against Scotland to end their 10-year winless streak in global tournaments but lost their remaining three games, the team's struggles including an unexpected T20i whitewash by Ireland highlighted a challenging year for women's cricket in Bangladesh.



Stars shone brightly
Mehedi Hasan Miraz emerged as a standout all-rounder in 2024 delivering exceptional performances with both bat and ball. He scored 614 runs in 10 Tests at an average of 38.37 and claimed 31 wickets making him Bangladesh's most successful player in both categories this year. Across all formats, Miraz amassed 1,025 runs at an average of 37.96 and took 40 wickets earning accolades such as Man of the Series in the historic whitewash against Pakistan.

Taskin Ahmed also had an extraordinary year setting a record for Bangladesh's pacers with 63 wickets across formats. He claimed 14 wickets in seven ODIs, 19 wickets in four Tests and 30 wickets in 19 T20i matches, showcasing remarkable consistency despite an injury setback. Only Shakib Al Hasan has taken more wickets (77 in 2010) in a calendar year for Bangladesh.

Hasan Mahmud impressed in his debut Test year, taking 30 wickets in nine Tests, which is a record for Bangladesh's pace bowling in a calendar year. Similarly, Rishad Hossain shone in T20i format taking 35 wickets in 24 matches, the highest for Bangladesh in a single year including a record 14 wickets in the T20 World Cup. Rishad also displayed promise with the bat, with explosive innings like 48 off 18 balls in his ODI debut against Sri Lanka.

Newcomer Zaker Ali left a significant mark in his debut year scoring 723 runs across formats, which is the third highest for the team. He also set a record for hitting 34 sixes in 28 innings.

Nahid Rana fulfilled a long-standing dream for Bangladesh cricket by becoming the country's first bowler to consistently bowl at speeds of 150 km/h. His blistering pace drew attention globally adding a new dimension to the team's bowling attack.
These individual achievements highlight a year of remarkable breakthroughs for Bangladesh cricket despite broader challenges.

Upsets
The year's biggest setback came in T20 cricket as Bangladesh lost a 2-1 series to an associate member of the ICC, the United States. They lost the first two matches by five wickets and six runs respectively before earning a consolation 10-wicket win in the final game. Further disappointment came with ODI series losses to Afghanistan and the West Indies. On the women's side, a T20 whitewash against Ireland added to the unexpected and concerning outcomes.

End of Papon, Hathurusingha and Shakib era
The fall of Sheikh Hasina's government during the student movement in July and August brought significant changes to Bangladesh cricket's leadership. Nazmul Hasan, who had led the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for nearly a decade since his government-backed appointment in 2012, resigned virtually following the government's collapse. Several of his close allies on the board including Khaled Mahmud Sujon, Jalaj Yunus and Naimur Rahman Durjoy also resigned, while many of others went into hiding leaving their positions vacant. In August, former captain Faruque Ahmed was elected as the new BCB president and cricket figure Nazmul Abedin joined as a board director.

Soon after ascending the chair, Faruque hinted about the fate of Head Coach Chandika Hathurusingha, who had a controversial first tenure with the BCB between 2014 and 2017. He however, was re-assigned in 2023 but was dismissed on October 15, shortly before the Test series against South Africa. BCB President cited misconduct including an alleged physical altercation with Nasum Ahmed during the previous year's ODI World Cup and unauthorized absences as reasons for the dismissal. Phil Simmons was named as the new head coach, with a contract extending to the Champions Trophy in February-March 2025. 

Shakib Al Hasan, the controversial super star of Bangladesh cricket, faced a turbulent year. He was elected as a member of parliament under the Awami League earlier in the year but faced criticism for his perceived inaction during the July protests. His wife's social media post and a controversial comment made during a T20 league in Canada drew further backlash. After the government fell, a murder case was filed against him in Dhaka raising additional challenges.

The all-rounder however, represented Bangladesh in two subsequent series in Pakistan and India from abroad after the change of political regime. Amid these troubles, Shakib announced plans to retire from Test cricket after the Mirpur Test against South Africa in October, but his announcement sparked protests near Mirpur Stadium. Concerns over his safety caused his return from Dubai to be halted mid-journey. Although Shakib had expressed a desire to retire from international cricket after the Champions Trophy, his future remains uncertain. Adding to his woes, he was banned from bowling late in the year due to a questionable bowling action during a county stint in England placing his career at a critical juncture.



Majestic journey of youths
Youth cricket has experienced another wave of success this year. Bangladesh retained the U-19 Asia Cup title with a commanding 59-run victory over India in the final marking their second consecutive championship. 

The tournament showcased the exceptional talent of promising players including captain Azizul Hakim, who has emerged as a bright prospect for Bangladesh's cricketing future.

Similarly, the young women showcased their skills on the field. The inaugural U-19 Women's Asia Cup concluded with an intense final. Although Bangladesh fell short by 41 runs, they finished as runners-up earning recognition for their commendable performance.

The year's journey underscores the need for stability and adaptation as the team looks ahead to the challenges of 2025.



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