The number six-ranked ODI team in the world, Bangladesh, would be locking horns with England, the co-hosts of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 in what could be the ‘part two’ of the saga that made Bangladesh who they are now and England who they never imagined could be.
That the Adelaide game between the two sides from the 2015 World Cup brought more benefits to England – who were ousted from the tournament at the hands of the Asian giants – is both surprising and revealing.
Surprising in the sense that the country that could have meandered along with its predating ODI methods and embraced whatever little miracles came their way actually stepped up and decided to shift allegiance from the ‘soul and spirit’ of cricket to its fast-tracked offshoot.
That win was revealing in the sense that Bangladesh, who were the leaders of the cahoot of lesser-performing nations – read Associates – of the ICC, are now placed ahead of former World Champions Pakistan and the West Indies.
The path to success is often laden with indifference, more than anything else. They remain indifferent to you, oblivious to your presence until you rack things up from the base and cause an upheaval too messy to go unnoticed.
That's what Bangladesh have done - six straight series wins at home, against India, Pakistan and South Africa amongst others - and two Test victories, one each against England and Sri Lanka, the latter coming away from home.
That is why, just like the World Cup 2015, Bangladesh could upset a few teams and shake up a few nerves, if nothing else, in what could be a make-or-break tournament for all other teams.
#5 The winning habit
There was a period in time that saw Bangladesh losing 71 of the 72 games that they played across formats. There’s a period now that has made them a dominant force on a global front.
The image has come on the back of impressive series victories against top-ranked ODI sides, one of whom have been pushed down by the Bangla resurgence. The key here is that Bangladesh now know how to win matches.
More than winning matches, they know how to bail themselves out of precarious situations and clinch the series-deciders. A team that was unaware of its own coordinates on the world scene now dreams of becoming a top-ranked team, and to sound a little preposterous, the best in the world.
All of this because they have started winning games consistently – something that was erstwhile unknown to the players – and believe that they are capable of beating even the best sides in the world.
#4 Inspiring leadership
Mashrafe Mortaza was seen portraying animated gestures directed at his young fast bowler, Rubel Hossein, during the 2015 World Cup. Two years hence, he is a mellowed-down cricketer, who has already called it a day in T20 cricket.
Success makes you humble, perhaps, and success has kissed Mortaza and his team’s feet on more occasions than failure. Be it the efficient utilization of Mustafizur Rahman against India or the unleashing Mehedi Hasan on England, the veteran’s methods as captain have been praiseworthy.
It is difficult to teach a team how to win and make sure that you’re a part of that process than to lead a team who has been winning games for years.
This is why Ajit Wadekar and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi were two of India’s best captains – not because India won many matches under their leadership, but because they taught a team of novices how to win against the best in the world.
Mortaza has been that man for Bangladesh and in the twilight of his career would look to leave behind a legacy that can only be built upon by his successor.
#3 Core of all-rounders
In his last press conference, Virat Kohli had emphasized that England’s strength lay in the fact that they had batsmen till numbers 8 and 9, and all of them are capable of hitting the ball long.
Although the same cannot be said of Bangladesh, in the vastly experienced Shakib-Al-Hasan and the relatively experienced Mahmudullah, Sabbir Rahman and Mehedi Hasan, they have proven all-rounders who are capable of handling pressure.
Mahmudullah had scored back-to-back centuries in the 2015 World Cup, Rahman has been an attacking option at the top of the order, and Hasan has been successful whenever there has been a little spin on offer.
Mix these talents with Shakib’s all-round ability and the experience of Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar and you would find a decent core of batsmen who are more than capable of turning a game around on its head.
#2 The ‘Mustafizur’ factor
The poster boy of Bangladesh cricket, and the man being sought by county clubs and T20 teams alike, Mustafizur Rahman, has done justice to all the hype around the name.
The hattrick-laden debut and rout of one of the strongest batting line-ups in the world had shot Mustafizur to prominence, and the success during the 9th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) stamped the banner of a prodigy over the 21-year-old’s name.
43 wickets from 18 ODIs at an average of 16 and a strike-rate of 20.7 appear to be stupendous numbers, and worthy of someone already on his way to becoming an all-time great. It would be too early to call whether Mustafizur is indeed on his way, but the talent present and the X-factor that he brings to the table are unquestionable.
With the experience of playing county cricket for Sussex coming handy, the left-arm pacer could work the tricks for Bangladesh, especially with the new ball. This is not to say that he isn’t as good at the death, as was visible when he nailed those toe-crushers in the IPL.
The slower balls, through, would remain his primary weapon, as it has been through his ‘cutters’ that he has bamboozled batsmen all over the world.
#1 The freedom of fearlessness
The biggest relief that Bangladesh have with themselves is the absence of the pressure, going into an ICC tournament. They carry absolutely zero baggage into the tournament as they are still perceived to be the weakest link, despite the rankings saying otherwise, and hence, have the license to play fearlessly.
This is something that they have before any major tournament but given their meteoric rise in recent times, one would think that there would be some pressure of continuing the kind of form that they have had.
However, most of those victories have come at home and the Asian giants are yet to be a world giant. Hence, they would walk into their first Champions Trophy in 11 years with no pressure whatsoever.
This is similar to how India were before the 2007 World T20. What they did thereafter, with next to no experience in the format, was an achievement of magnanimous proportions. Bangladesh are in a similar state now. They have proven performers as well as young blood in their midst with the license to express themselves.
All they have to do is take the field and execute the plans.
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