Morning doesn't show the day always- Bangladesh cricket's year of 2022 could be described in just one sentence.
A year that started with an epic Test victory on New Zealand soil, ended in a heartbreaking three-wicket defeat to India at home soil, when Bangladesh sniffed another historical Test victory.
As Bangladesh already established them a force in ODI cricket, which was reinforced further by a first ever ODI series victory on South African soil this year, the challenge of 2022 actually was to make them a strong contender in Test and T20 cricket.
The expectation was not met entirely but Bangladesh made a significant stride in both formats. Bangladesh now just need to learn how to close out the close games, a thing which they applied so well in the ODI format.
Test and T20 captain Shakib Al Hasan summed up the year with one simple statement: "I felt that, overall, we had a great year in 2022. Our mentality, especially, where we lacked, I think we have improved a lot. The sort of things we talk about in the dressing room, the type of leadership that's being created, we can have a different 2023."
"We should win all three Test series in 2023. We should have a T20 team ready in the next six months, one that will do very well in the 2024 T20 World Cup. We have a settled ODI side. We have lost just one home series since 2015. If we can play as a team, get contributions from every aspect, we should do well in the World Cup."
A quick stat
Bangladesh played 10 Test matches this year, winning just one that took a landmark Test victory on New Zealand soil at the start of the year. They then lost eight matches and drew one just against Sri Lanka.
In 15 ODIs in this year, Bangladesh won 10 matches and lost five but most importantly they won a series in South Africa for the first time and beat India for the second successive in a three-match series at home. However, if those were the high points, the low point was that they lost a series against Zimbabwe for the first time since 2013.
They however played 21 T20 Internationals in which they registered victory in just six matches. The Tigers lost 14 matches while one match ended in a no result. While they remained vulnerable in the T20 format like the Test, this year they broke the jinx of losing streak in the main round of the T20 World Cup, beating Netherlands and Zimbabwe. They in fact got the victory in the main round of the T20 World Cup for the first time since the 2007 edition.
A landmark Test victory on New Zealand soil
The landmark Test victory at the margin of eight wickets came at a moment when everyone completely wrote off Bangladesh as a Test nation. When they came to visit New Zealand for a Test series at the start of year, no one could think even in their wild imagination that Bangladesh would win a match in New Zealand where they have never won a game in any format of cricket in 31 attempts.
But the 32 match, the first Test of the two-match Test series in Mount Maunganui possibly wrote a different script---that Bangladesh would break the losing streak here with a win and that too in Test format, which is not their favourite format indeed. Thanks to Devon Conway's 122, New Zealand posted 328 in the first innings and Bangladesh replied with 458, taking 120 runs lead thanks to newbie Mahmudul Hasan's 78, captain MominulHaque's 88, LitonDas's 86 and Najmul Hossain Shanto's 64. Still it was beyond imagination that Bangladesh could win the game.
But a memorable spell of fast bowler Ebadot Hossain who scalped 6-46, tilted the match in Bangladesh's favour as New Zealand were bowled out for just 169 in their second innings, setting Tigers just 40-run target to win the game. And Bangladesh didn't falter as they raced to the victory, losing just two wickets. The significance of the victory is huge also considering that it came without the service of the senior players. While the likes of Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan missed the game, Mushfiqur Rahim's contribution was just 12.
But the Test progress remains static
It was believed that Bangladesh would be a force to reckon with in Test format after a Test victory on New Zealand soil. But Bangladesh were brought down to earth in the immediate next Test in Christchurch which New Zealand won by an innings and 117 runs. Thereafter Bangladesh lost Test series against Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies and India. Even though they came close to a victory against India at the fag end of the year, their Test progress remained static. Tamim, Mushfiqur retire as Mahmudullah dropped from T20
The year also marked the retirement of Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim from the T20 format. As Bangladesh team management tried to instill a fresh blood which every nation in the world follows, MahmudullahRiyad was also dropped from the format. Only Shakib Al Hasan amongst the seniors retained his place and he actually was given the captaincy role to bring a shape into the T20 squad.
Tamim Iqbal announced his retirement from T20Is shortly after leading the ODI side to a 3-0 series win over West Indies in Guyana. Bangladesh won the match by four wickets, with Tamim winning the player-of-the-series award. He announced his retirement in MS Dhoni style.
He wrote a short message on his official Facebook page, posting in Bangla saying, "consider me retired from T20 internationals from today. Thanks everyone." Mushfiqur Rahim retired after the Asia Cup T20 tournament which was held just before the T20 World Cup. He performed badly in that tournament and the fate was sealed.
Alongside him, MahmudullahRiyad also had an inconsistent performance. But while Mushfiqur realized that time is over for him, sadly Mahmudullay didn't and he paid the price of being dropped from the T20 World Cup squad. The team management indeed made it clear, there is no chance to bring back Mahmudullah into the squad again.
