The Bangladesh national cricket team (Bengali: বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় ক্রিকেট দল) is the team that represents Bangladesh in international cricket. The team is administered by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). Bangladesh is a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) with Test and One Day International (ODI) status. It played its first Test match in 2000 against India in Dhaka, becoming the tenth Test-playing nation. Bangladesh's first official foray into international cricket came in the 1979 ICC Trophy in England. On 31 March 1986, Bangladesh played its first ODI match, against Pakistan in the Asia Cup. For a long time, football was the most popular sport in Bangladesh, but cricket gradually became very popular – particularly in urban areas – and by the late 1990s had surpassed football. Bangladesh made its full debut in international cricket in the 1986 Asia Cup. In 1997, Bangladesh won the ICC Trophy in Malaysia. By doing so, it qualified for its first Cricket World Cup, in England in 1999. There, it defeated Pakistan – creating one of the biggest upsets in its cricketing history – and also Scotland. On 26 June 2000, Bangladesh was granted full ICC membership, playing its first Test match in November of that year. Bangladesh holds the record for most consecutive losses in Tests (21, between 2000 and 2002) and ODIs (23, between 2001 and 2004). After gaining full member status with the ICC, Bangladesh had to wait until 2004 for its first ODI win since the 1999 World Cup. The team on the losing side on that occasion was Zimbabwe, who also participated in Bangladesh's maiden Test victory in 2005; by securing a draw in the second match, Bangladesh won their first Test series. In 2009 Bangladesh toured the West Indies for two Tests and by winning both secured their first overseas series victory. As of 2 December 2014, Bangladesh has played 88 Tests, winning only seven. Its first victory was against a young and inexperienced Zimbabwe team, which was hit by a player crisis; the next two were against a West Indian team crippled by a players' strike. Results have improved recently though with draws earned against full strength Sri Lankan and New Zealand sides and a win against Zimbabwe The lack of a first-class tournament in the country before it was granted Test status has been cited as one of the reasons for the side's struggle to adapt to the longest form of the game, and Bangladesh's performance has led to repeated calls for it to lose its Test status. The team has been more successful in ODIs, having won 85 of its 294 matches. It has also played 41 Twenty20 Internationals, winning 11.

• published: 10 Feb 2015
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