Toothless Tigers

I guess the debate over Bangladesh's test status has long ceased to be a debate - it is a foregone conclusion that Bangladesh does not belong at the highest level of international cricket. With all the developments over the past couple three years or so, Zimbabwe have unfortunately joined Bangladesh as the other C-graders at the test level. The problem is, there is probably little the ICC can do now; at least there are no easy answers. Cricket is not blessed with audiences in as many countries as are members of the UN - it is a game that is desperate to find newer markets. And it was the obvious financial considerations, plus one suspects the electoral politics at the ICC, that hastened Bangladesh's entry into the test level. I do think the ICC has a tough task on its hands balancing the financial considerations and ensuring that the quality of competition does not suffer. So far the globalization drive has yielded little results, the only developments happening in countries with significant expatriate populations (e.g., the USA). In the event, can cricket really afford to lose Bangladesh, where there is a genuine passion for the game on a mass scale and at the grassroots level? It is a moot point as to whether cricket really needs more countries to play the game; surely there are other sports with very limited patronage. In crashing to another abysmal defeat that was perhaps the worst performance by a team playing their first test at Lord's, Bangladesh did themselves and the ICC no favours. It is difficult to see them redeeming themselves in the next test, given their inadequacies. Bringing in Dav Whatmore as a coach hasn't helped, and other miracle workers would have almost certainly endured a similar fate. If they continue in a similar vein, the Bangladesh cricket side may want to call themselves something else. - NK