Should Bangladesh be allowed to play test cricket?

[SciD]

Bangladesh got thrashed by New Zealand in the test matches and have not done anything of note in the test match cricket. So won't it be nice for them to play ODI and when they build some good cricket wins under belt that they be allowed to play test cricket?

 

[MattW]

I think there needs to be a tier of countries who are nearly ready for test level cricket (including Bangladesh) and do a promotion and relegation system based on their performance. So you would have countries like Kenya, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Scotland, Ireland and The Netherlands battling it out in test conditions for two spots.

Theoretically even the top tier teams could be dropped down to this level if they have a very long streak of poor performance and the lower tier teams could become full test nations with large amounts of good performances.

The problem comes when there is a huge gap between the skill levels of the top and bottom tier teams, but if there is enough cricket played the lower teams can build up good squads and you could see an expanded 'top' tier of teams who are all competitive. Or alternately the top tier could shrink so that there is huge competition in both levels.

As for Bangladesh specifically, the thrashings don't help them, they might be better off sticking to ODIs, but they need to play a lot of test matches to become a good side, one day they might make it if they keep at it.

 

[icyman]

At the moment i'm prepared to bet that Zimbabwe is definately better than Bangladesh in Test cricket.

 

[RoboRocks]

At the moment i'm prepared to bet that Zimbabwe is definately better than Bangladesh in Test cricket.

Well they're not better because they aren't playing any test cricket.

I agree with Matt that they should be a system of sort put into place so we can see some more competitive test cricket being played. The problem is though that Bangladesh and Zimbabwe will still walk their way through that system and still get wacked in tests.

 

[Sureshot]

We should give Bangladesh more time, as I understand they have one of the best U-19 teams around.

 

[Gilly Fan]

We do need a 2 tier system. It's the only way they'll be able to improve. Also, they need a good club system. Get the young lads playing early. Australia and England have a thing called Milo cricket (That's what it's called here), and you can start playing that when your 5.

 

[Sureshot]

A 2 tier system isn't what I'd do. For a start Bangladesh and Zim would only play each other, that's if Zimbabwe ever get test status again, if they play just each other then it's pointless as they'll learn nothing.

You can learn the most from defeats, heavy defeats at that.

 

[JamesyJames3]

I agree with Sureshot on giving them more time.

I think Bangladesh have real potential. The one area they had struggled for me till recently was seam bowling (where they only had Mortaza). But it looks like they've got two new seamers to work with. Haque Junior is also a promising young spinner, and could prove his worth in the next couple of years.

Batting is where the consistancy isn't at the moment. But again, potential. Ashraful, Tamim, Siddique, Aftab have all had good knocks against big teams in one-dayers and tests. They just need to work on their weaknesses a bit more, and get that consistancy going.

They're a very young team. They just need time and not to chop and change. Give the current crop a fair shot.

 

[icyman]

We should give Bangladesh more time, as I understand they have one of the best U-19 teams around.

Precisely how much ?
I think we have given them enough time with enough home matches.
Come on,they havent even won a single match[leave out the Zim test].

 

[JamesyJames3]

Precisely how much ?
I think we have given them enough time with enough home matches.
Come on,they havent even won a single match[leave out the Zim test].

What do you propose the ICC do? Kick Bangladesh out of test cricket?

That'll do more damage than anything. Will probably send the Bangldeshi setup into a downhill spiral. Their players will become demoralised and question their abilities, they will never progress and the countries cricket team will probably become a distant memory.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

To the title - Hell yea. Infact, they need to play more of it, not 35 ODIs and then a 2-test series, before 5 more ODI tournaments and another 2 tests. Thats just ridiculous. Their bowling my cut it once finding their feet, but the batsmen are just plain struggling.

They have a lot of talent, just need to play more Test, or atleast 4-day, cricket.

 

[Sureshot]

Precisely how much ?
I think we have given them enough time with enough home matches.
Come on,they havent even won a single match[leave out the Zim test].

I can't give an exact date as that would be silly, however, I'd say another 15 years or so to really establish themselves. They played their first test in 2000 iirc. 7 full years isn't long.

 

[m_vaughan]

The two tier system would work.....eventually.

 

[Kev]

I've no problem with Bangladesh playing test cricket, I'm sure they will improve and I'm sure they will win a test match against a big boy in the near future. How will they ever improve if they don't play against top teams?

 

[DJ Ager]

Exactly, in the future they should be decent, in Australia's winning run they have been probably the only side really to push them to be honest in a test, and they are improving, they bowled well against New Zealand from what I saw the other day, if they had held catches it could have been a different match they just need to play more test cricket, they are a very young team too, and their good youth and structure should come through in the future, besides ridding their Test status is not called for at all and not going to help at all, since their start you look closely they have slowly imporved