From its origin and development to its rise to glory as the country's most popular sport, this article covers everything you need to know about cricket in Bangladesh

Cricket's Reign: Bangladesh's Most Popular Sport

Bangladesh is home to various sports, from traditional ones like kabaddi and kho kho to mainstream foreign ones like football, hockey, and cricket. However, cricket holds a special place in the country, being the most popular sport. Interestingly, the sport was not always the most prominent in the nation. However, thanks to Bangladesh's exceptional performance in international cricket, the nation's attention shifted from football which was the rave in the 1980s and 1990s.

Today, Bangladesh is one of the top ten cricketing nations in the world, with notable achievements on continental and international levels. The sport also enjoys massive support from enthusiastic fans, who root for the national team and their favorite clubs in local and international leagues. Therefore, it is unsurprising that cricket is played extensively in the country in several schools, stadiums, and parks.

Additionally, the sport generates massive betting action throughout the country, with thousands of Bengalis visiting top bookmakers like https://pari-match-bd.com/en/androidapp to wager on their favorite cricket events.

Origin of Cricket in Bangladesh

Cricket was introduced to Bangladesh during the British colonial era in the late 18th century. That was even before the country existed as an independent nation. The first recorded match in the country was played in 1855 between British soldiers stationed in Dhaka. After that, cricket picked steam in West Bengal as many European settlers were there. However, the sport had slow development in East Bengal (today's Bangladesh) due to a lack of infrastructure and rural setup.

Bengal (predominantly a West Bengal team) attained first-class cricket status in 1935 after losing by nine wickets in their match against the Australian tourists. Bengal also reached the semi-final of the Ranji Trophy in January 1936, where they lost to Madras. In 1937, they were runners-up in the same tournament but eventually won it in 1939.

However, the earliest notable match in East Bengal occurred in February 1941 when a Bengal Governor's XI faced the Bengal Gymkhana in Dhaka at the Bangabandhu National Stadium, then called the Dacca Stadium.

The partition of India in 1947 resulted in the creation of West Pakistan and East Pakistan, which later became the independent country of Bangladesh. However, while West Pakistan continued with the strong cricket wave, East Pakistan didn't attain first-class cricket status until around 1954-55.

Partition and Independence

Following the 1947 partition, thirteen first-class teams from East Pakistan competed in Pakistan's cricket competitions (the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy and the Ayub Trophy) between the 1954-55 and 1970-71 seasons. These teams mostly dominated the competitions, with the Dhaka University, East Pakistan Greens, and East Pakistan Whites being the most exceptional.

After a lot of struggle for freedom in the liberation war, Bangladesh finally became independent in 1971. However, the early days of independence saw a decline in the growing popularity of cricket. This is because the new war-torn country had a lot of issues, such as famine, poverty, political turmoil, and military coups, causing the sport to take the back seat.

The Bangladesh Cricket Control Board (BCCB)

To restore cricket's development, the government established the Bangladesh Cricket Control Board (BCCB) in 1972. The board is responsible for organizing and regulating cricket in the new Bangladesh, from grassroots cricket to the national team.

Following the creation of the BCCB, the first notable competition, a club-level Dhaka Metropolis Knockout Tournament, started in 1972. Soon after, Bangladesh's national club championship began in 1974–75 but was not regarded as a first-class competition.

Early Notable Competitions

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) became the first international team to tour Bangladesh after the country invited them. As a result, the inaugural Bangladesh cricket national team was selected to play against them at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in 1977. Bangladesh put up an impressionable performance against the MCC and became an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) later that year.

After playing a series of non-first-class matches against touring teams, including Sri Lanka, India, and MCC, Bangladesh made their international cricket debut in the ICC Trophy hosted in England in 1979 but narrowly missed qualifying for the semi-finals. The country made it into the semi-finals after beating Malaysia and Netherlands in the group stage in the 1882 ICC Trophy, also hosted in England, but lost to Zimbabwe, who eventually won the competition.

The country's first international trophy came in 1983–84 in the South East Asian Tournament (limited overs), their first hosted tournament. The tournament ended with Bangladesh beating Hong Kong by three wickets in the final to lift the trophy. Between 1887 to 1996, Bangladesh hosted a series of tournaments, including the 1998 Asia Cup, the 1992 and 1994 SAARC Quadrangular tournament, and the 1994 ICC Trophy in Kenya.

These competitions were mainly trailed by limited successes as Bangladesh was facing off against better teams. However, it is undeniable that domestic cricket in the country expanded considerably, and the playing standards improved at the time.

The Race to Glory

Bangladesh witnessed its first huge international success when it won the 1997 ICC Trophy hosted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This win was significant as it saw Bangladesh win all its five group stage matches, defeating major teams like the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Ireland, and eventually Kenya in the final.

Having won the 1997 ICC Trophy, Bangladesh qualified to play in the 1999 Cricket World Cup for the first time in Great Britain. The team performed impressively in the tournament, getting past the group stage and claiming a remarkable victory over Pakistan by 62 runs. As a result, Bangladesh's progress was recognized internationally, resulting in the country becoming a full member of the ICC on 28th June 2000.

These developments saw cricket gather massive interest from the people of Bangladesh, taking the limelight from football, the most popular sport at the time.

Below are other notable wins of Bangladesh in cricket so far:

• Making the quarter-finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015
• Winning the 2019 Ireland Tri-Nation Series
• Finishing 3rd in the Asia Cup three times
• Finishing 2nd in the 2018 Nidahas Trophy

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL)

One of the developments that sealed Bangladesh as one of the global cricket powerhouses was the establishment of the Bangladesh Premier League, its major cricket domestic league, in 2012. This T20 league was inspired by the world-famous India Premier League, today's world's biggest cricket league.

Like its inspiration, the BPL has risen in prominence since its creation, shining light on Bangladesh cricket nationally and internationally. Today, it is one of the top 10 cricket leagues globally. One of the most significant impacts of the BPL has been the development of a pool of talented young cricketers in Bangladesh. Also, the league has generated substantial revenue, with teams bidding large amounts of money for the services of top players.

Since it kicked off in 2012, the league has run for eight seasons, with seven top-quality teams currently in the franchise.

Conclusion

Cricket is not just the most popular sport in Bangladesh; it's a way of life. The sport has become a significant part of the country's culture and identity thanks to past and present successes. With the massive support that the national team gets, the worldwide popularity of BPL, and the growing number of other local leagues and tournaments, it's clear that this passion is not going away anytime soon.