With no more play left in what remains of the year, it's time to reflect on the past 12 months of Bangladesh cricket. To sum it up, 2022 was an exciting but challenging year with its share of highs and lows.
In 2022, Bangladesh had a mixed performance in international cricket. They played 10 Test matches and won only one. However, they fared much better in ODIs and won 10 out of the 15 matches they competed in, including a first series win against South Africa in South Africa. Unfortunately, the team continues to struggle in the shortest format, and won only six out of the 21 T20I matches they played this year.
The highest achievement of the Bangladesh cricket team in 2022 was their resounding Test victory over New Zealand in Mount Maunganui right at the start of the year. Sadly the team did nothing the rest of the year to dispel the doubters who viewed it as a fluke.
Bangladesh's lowest performance came at the Asia Cup 2022 in the UAE when they didn't live up to expectations, as they failed to win any matches, reports UNB.
Ebadot Hossain stands tall
At Mount Maunganui, Ebadot Hossain heroically took six wickets in the second innings of New Zealand, paving the way for Bangladesh's most remarkable victory in Test cricket. Young batter Mahmudul Hasan Joy, the then captain Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Liton Das all hit a fifty each in that match and helped the Tigers to register the memorable victory.
Failure in the Asia Cup
In the opening round of Asia Cup 2022, Bangladesh faced Afghanistan and Sri Lanka but unfortunately lost both matches, resulting in their elimination from the tournament. The Asia Cup has long been the stage for the Asian giants, but with Bangladesh failing to make it far in this year's T20 format tournament, it is evident that they still have much to learn when it comes to the game's shortest format.
Shakib back as Test captain
Mominul Haque, despite not being perceived as an ideal captain material, was chosen to lead Bangladesh in the longer format of cricket, and enjoyed some success in his time at the helm. However, for the long-term the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) opted for a different choice, and subsequently decided to bring Shakib back as captain in mid-2022. Along with Test, Shakib was made captain for T20Is as well as the then regular captain Mahmudullah Riyad had been failing to find his luck both as captain and allrounder.
Chaos in coaching roles
With the end of 2022 fast approaching, Russell Domingo has announced his resignation from his post as Bangladesh cricket team's head coach, with no surprise following his removal from the coaching staff of the country's T20 squad. In his place, Sridharan Sriram was appointed as technical consultant of the Bangladesh T20 team, taking up head coach duties during the T20 World Cup which took place in Australia earlier this year. Domingo's resignation has left the Bangladesh Cricket Authority scrambling to find a new coach in time for the start of the new year.
ODI prowess proved against India
Bangladesh has established itself as a formidable team in the ODI format in recent years and this was further evidenced when they successfully hosted Asian powerhouse India and beat them in a three-match ODI series to close out 2022. Mehidy Hasan Maraz stepped up to the challenge and proved crucial in helping the Tigers secure their second ODI series win against India. He not only made his debut century in the process, but also contributed to Bangladesh's wins in the first two ODIs held in Dhaka. Unfortunately, their momentum was stalled as Ishan Kishan hit a record-breaking double-ton in Chattogram, enabling India to overpower Bangladesh and take the last match with a huge margin of victory.
The year Litton Das came into his own
Litton achieved a historic feat for Bangladeshi cricket when he became the first batter to ever break into the top 12 Test batters in the world, ending the 2022 cricketing year on a triumphant note. According to the ICC Ranking published after the Bangladesh-India Test series, Liton outstripped his peers to achieve an admirable 12th place - the highest ranking ever attained by a Bangladeshi batter in Test. This incredible achievement demonstrates that he has yet more potential to unlock in his career.
