Bangladesh are going to step into such an era of Test cricket, where they have to play Test in different aspect than other times in the past because International Cricket Council (ICC) recently introduced World Test Championship (WTC) in the aspect of the men’s and women’s World Cups in One-Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals.
And for this, they have to face a lot of new but stiff challenges for which they have to re-considerate and reshuffle the overall domestic cricket structure coupled with producing quality players and improve bowling battery with utmost composure, time-bound measures and planned means.
This newly-inducted mechanism by World cricket apex body what many thinks will give relevance and added a new meaning to the Test cricket amid the popularity of ODI and T20 alongside other short version of cricket including T10 and six-a-side.
For this, the ICC has prepared a new mechanism under its future tour’s programme (FTP) on the basis of bilateral series, the first cycle of it spanned from August 2019 to March 2021.
Already the new mechanism has come into effect with the Ashes Test series between top-notch England and Australia at Edgbaston on August 1. But the part of Bangladesh is yet to start which will kick off from their next two-Test series against top-flight India though they will play a one-off Test series against neophyte Afghanistan prior to the India series but it would not be considered and counted for the ICC World Test Championship.
To keep it memorable, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is mulling to chalk out some initiatives to make hype and increase awareness towards Test cricket among the cricket-obsessed nation along with its cricket supporters and fans across the world along with players.
It is learnt from the BCB sources that the board will arrange awareness programmes. As a part of it, they have decided to arrange programme at school, college and university to inform them and aware them about Test Cricket so that Test or longer version cricket could be popularised further beside the one-day and Twenty20 cricket in the country.
They have also plans to bring out a colourful rally with the participation of the age-group, junior and senior level cricketers, organisers, umpires, coaches, scorers, match referees, clubs and academy officials ahead of the Tigers’ tour to India in November.
Even the board has planned to raise a storm of awareness among its numerous followers across the globe on social media platforms including its Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
In addition, the world cricket apex body prepared a two-year cycles, under which the nine top-ranked teams such as Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies will compete in 71 Tests across 27 bilateral Test series from July, 2019 to March 2021.
Bangladesh among these games will get opportunity to play 14 Tests under the six bilateral series in the two-year-long first cycle, whereby they will play three-Test series against Sri Lanka and the West Indies, while the rest of the series will be a two-Test series what they will play against India, New Zealand, Australia, and Pakistan.
They did not get any chance to play Test series against South Africa and England in the first two-year cycle of the FTP.
Even though they will play a one-off Test against neophyte Afghanistan at home yard from September 5-9 at Chattogram, the counting of points for their World Test Championship (WTC) will be commenced from the two-Test series against India.
They will tour to India in November to play the Test series along with a three-match Twenty20 International series. So, the result of the series is very important for Bangladesh because the counting of points as well as rankings will be started with this first series.
A total of two teams, who will be top points-getter, will be eligible for playing the final of the maiden edition of the ICC World Test Championship, introduced
by ICC after bargaining with its full-member countries for the newly-inducted tournament.