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Old December 12, 2002, 12:49 PM
opening_batsman opening_batsman is offline
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Default [Old Thread] Wisden Slaughtering Bangladesh

FEEDBACK SPECIAL - BANGLADESH'S TEST STATUS
No infrastructure, no hope



Easy pickings
©AFP




In his article In the name of God, go, Dileep Premachandran argued that Bangladesh's Test status should be removed in the light of recent dismal performances. We asked you for your feedback. To add to the debate, please click here


Bangladesh are a classic example of what happens if you grant Test status to a country without the proper infrastructure. The Bangladeshi players were underprepared when they were thrust into the Test arena, with most players having the experience of only a few first-class matches. Should their Test status be taken away? No - it would make more sense to make Bangladesh play one Test match and several four-day matches against top first-class teams rather than an entire Test series against other Test-playing countries. Shohan Rahman
Let’s not devalue Test cricket with matches against club-standard teams. I shudder to think what Australia will do to Bangladesh when they meet them. Matt Broad

The only thing that will make the self-important moneymen at the ICC take notice is when the sponsors withdraw from Bangaldesh games and, as already happens, the public stay away. That will have the knock-on effect of making the great God TV think again. These are no more Test matches than a county against a university is a first-class fixture. The ICC are ruining the very game they are supposed to protect. Mark Morrison

The answer is to make Bangladesh play some one-off Test series around the world, and have them play four or five first-class matches against quality regional and county opposition during each tour to improve their technical abilities. Bangladesh have been thrust into the international scene a little early but withdrawing them completely now will only result in complete demoralisation and death of the sport in one of the most enthusiastic regions. John Jameson

Where Bangladesh are concerned it is obvious that this was a political "you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours" bargain. This will probably be Mr Dalmiya’s largest contribution to the deterioration of the game. Bangladesh should have two sides playing in India's Ranji Trophy, and maybe an U23 side playing in either India or Sri Lanka's first-class competitions. Niloy Mukherjee

In my opinion Bangladesh do not deserve to be playing Test cricket. If I was an opposing captain I would put them into bat, and once they had been bowled out I would bat for the next three days. They are a disgrace to all the great players who have played cricket to at the highest level. Many of the players who play for Sussex seconds would get into Bangladesh’s team. Guy Parkinson

New Test-playing nations have allowed the experienced teams to improve their records e.g. Sobers scoring 365* against Pakistan in 1956. However the Bangladesh experiment seems to be a cruel joke. I watched the matches they played against Pakistan and was convinced that I could play Test cricket if I switched nationalities to Bangladesh. Instead of revoking their Test status, the ICC should suspend Bangladesh from Tests for two years. The Bangladesh national team should play against A teams from other countries and should invest in sending some of their players to represent first-class teams in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Inam ur Rahman

I agree with Dileep's article. In fact he was being too soft. The entire Bangladesh team is worst than an Indian third-grade league team. I only have one problem. Why are India not playing Bangladesh? Brian Lara's world record is two sessions work for Sehwag, unless he dies laughing. Atul

The inclusion of Bangladesh as a Test-playing country has always been a mystery to many, and in light of the recent debacle at Dhaka, it begs the question: what qualifies a team for Test-playing status? If it is on the basis of skill and ability, shouldn't Kenya, Holland or even Canada be given the same privilege as the comically inept Bangladeshis? Emerson Wilshier

What worries me most is brought out by a timely article by S Rajesh in the latest issue of Wisden Asia Cricket. Look at the number of players who are fattening their batting averages by performing 'Herculean' feats against these kind of opponents. Imagine a state where an average of above 50, which is an all time agreed benchmark of batting excellence, will become a farce! Saumya Shanker

The promotion of Bangladesh had little to do with their ability to compete at the highest level of the game, but was purely a political decision to strengthen the hand of the Asian nations in major cricket policy decisions. Bangladesh are paying a heavy price for selfish and self-centred ambition. It is not good for Test cricket to have such an obvious whipping boy and it will damage the progress of the game in Bangladesh. It would be best to relieve them of Test status until they can sustain several regional sides and beat Test nations in ODIs. This won't be done of course, but it should be. Andrew Carr

It is time for them to go. Bangladesh are not worthy of club cricket, let alone Test cricket. They have no domestic infrastructure. Give them one-day status like Kenya has and wait 10 years before considering their inclusion again. Ghutam

Show them up
The next country which plays Bangladesh should show up the idiots at the ICC for the fools they are. Reverse the batting order ... let batsmen bowl ... or on the other hand bat for three days and score over 1000 and see if Bangladesh can lose by an innings and 800+. Perhaps then reality would return to world cricket as opposed to filthy lucre dictating affairs. Will Tabor

Not good enough
Bangladesh have shown that they are not up to playing cricket with the big boys (they're not up to playing with most club sides either). They should keep their Test status but be removed from the ICC championships as their presence just makes a mockery of personal averages. Give them a few one-off matches and some A tours. Peter Mitchell


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