There’s an old saying: "All’s well that ends well". For Bangladesh cricket, 2024 ended like a fairytale—a series sweep against the West Indies that seemed almost too good to be true. Yet in cricket, as in life, the brilliance of the end cannot overshadow the dark stretches of the whole year.
The year was a mosaic of moments: a stunning T20 series win in the Caribbean and a historic Test victory in Pakistan stood out. But these bright spots were scattered across a landscape dominated by frustration and missed opportunities. Still, the year’s finale glimmers with hope for brighter days and months ahead.
Off the pitch, the drama was no less intense. The last quarter of the year saw political waves ripple through the cricketing world. Longtime Bangladesh Cricket Board President Nazmul Hassan, a fixture for nearly a decade, stepped down amid sweeping changes, taking several key directors with him.
The men’s national team also welcomed a new head coach amid the shake-up. Meanwhile, Shakib Al Hasan’s absence from his farewell Test stirred up controversy, adding fuel to year-end discussions.
As 2024 closes, let’s rewind the reel and explore the highs, lows, and the enduring spirit of Bangladesh cricket—both on and off the field.
Bangladesh in Tests
Bangladesh began the year with the possibility of playing the highest number of Test matches in a calendar year. However, the cancellation of two Test matches against Afghanistan prevented a new record. Nevertheless, the team equalled their record by playing 10 Tests in a year. Unlike 2022, when they won only one Test, this year they have three victories under their belt.
This is the joint record for most Test wins by Bangladesh in a calendar year - also achieved in 2014, 2018, and 2022. However, this year was unique because all three wins came away from home—a first for the team.
The success in Pakistan in August-September can be considered one of the memorable chapters in Bangladesh cricket history. Before this, Bangladesh had never won a single match across all formats in 20 games against Pakistan in Pakistan.
This year, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and their teammates stunned the cricket world by whitewashing the hosts. The series was notable not just for the victories but for the manner in which they were achieved. In the first Test, Pakistan declared their innings at 448 runs, but Bangladesh, at one stage struggling at 218 for five, turned the tables to win by 10 wickets. In the second Test, after collapsing to 26 for six, Bangladesh made a stunning comeback to win by six wickets.
Another notable achievement came with a win in Jamaica during the second Test against the West Indies. Over the past decade, a Test series in the Caribbean has been a nightmare for Bangladesh. Despite losing the first Test, a weakened Bangladesh team pulled off an extraordinary victory in the second.
These achievements might make Bangladesh's Test performance in 2024 seem impressive. However, the team suffered crushing defeats in the remaining seven Tests. This included heavy losses in two matches in India and suffering clean sweeps at home by Sri Lanka and South Africa, despite high expectations.
This year saw both extraordinary successes and unexpected failures.
Bangladesh in ODIs
In the format considered Bangladesh’s strongest, the year was more disappointing than expected. With the World Cup held last year, there were fewer 50-over matches in 2024. Bangladesh played three bilateral series, winning 2–1 at home against Sri Lanka in March but losing 2–1 to Afghanistan in Sharjah in November. They ended the year with a whitewash in the West Indies.
In stark contrast, Bangladesh had whitewashed the Caribbean team in 2022 and won a series in 2018. This year’s last ODI series before the Champions Trophy brought discomforting signals.
Bangladesh in T20Is
Statistically, 2024 was Bangladesh’s most successful year in T20Is. The team won 12 out of 24 matches, surpassing the 11 victories in 27 matches in 2021.
However, the year also had its share of humiliations. In March, the Tigers lost a home series to Sri Lanka. Just before the T20 World Cup, they suffered an embarrassing series defeat against the USA.
In the World Cup, they beat Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, and Nepal to advance to the Super Eight but lost to Australia, India, and Afghanistan.
The Afghanistan loss, where Bangladesh failed to show the necessary urgency to improve their net run rate and reach the semifinals, sparked widespread criticism among cricket fans and on social media.
The year ended on a high note, with a weakened team whitewashing the two-time world champions West Indies in a T20 series, offering fresh hope.
Fabulous Year for Miraz and Taskin
Mehidy Hasan Miraz has taken a significant step towards fulfilling the promise of becoming a complete all-rounder, which he showcased in age-group cricket. He had an exceptional year with both bat and ball. Particularly in Test cricket, he stood out as the undisputed top performer.
This year, Miraz scored 614 runs in 10 Tests at an average of 38.37 and claimed 31 wickets, making him the most successful player in both departments for Bangladesh. He was named Player of the Series during the historic whitewash of Pakistan. Across all formats, Miraz is the only Bangladeshi batsman to score 1,000 runs this year – 1,025 runs at an average of 37.96 – and also took 40 wickets.
Taskin Ahmed also had an outstanding year with the ball. In seven ODIs, he became the country’s leading wicket-taker with 14 scalps. Despite missing some time in Test cricket due to injury, he returned to claim 19 wickets in four Tests. In T20Is, Taskin displayed remarkable consistency, taking 30 wickets in 19 matches.
In total, Taskin claimed 63 wickets this year, setting a record for the most wickets in a calendar year by a Bangladeshi pacer. Among all bowlers, only Shakib Al Hasan has taken more wickets in a year, with 77 in 2010.
Hasan Mahmud, who made his Test debut this year, played in nine of the team’s 10 Tests and impressed with 30 wickets. This is a record for the most Test wickets by a Bangladeshi pacer in a calendar year.
Rishad Hossain emerged as one of Bangladesh’s brightest prospects in 2024. The leg-spinner, who debuted in international cricket last year, became a key figure in the T20 squad and showed glimpses of promise in ODIs as well.
Rishad played all 24 T20Is for Bangladesh this year, claiming 35 wickets, a national record for a calendar year. In the T20 World Cup, he took 14 wickets, another record for Bangladesh.
He also demonstrated his potential with the bat, smashing 48 runs off 18 balls in his ODI debut against Sri Lanka and scoring a blistering 53 off 30 balls, including seven sixes, against the same opposition in T20Is.
This year also saw the international debut of Jaker Ali, who shone across all formats and showcased the potential for a bright future. In his debut year, Zakir scored 723 runs across formats, the third-highest for the team, and smashed 34 sixes in 28 innings, a record for a debutant Bangladeshi player.
A long-standing dream of Bangladesh cricket also came true this year through Nahid Rana. He became the first bowler from the country to bowl at a speed of 150 km per hour and consistently maintained this pace, rattling batsmen and grabbing the attention of the global cricketing community.
Lastly, 2024 marked the end of an era as Mahmudullah concluded his 17-year T20I career during the tour of India.
Shake-up in BCB
The fall of Sheikh Hasina's government in the student-led protests of July-August also marked the end of Nazmul Hassan's nearly decade-long reign in the Bangladesh Cricket Board, or BCB.
Appointed as BCB president by the government in 2012, Nazmul dominated the board and was elected unopposed as president for three consecutive terms since 2013.
After the government's collapse, he left the country and submitted his resignation. Several of his close associates on the board also went into hiding, leading to their positions becoming vacant over time.
In August, former captain Faruque Ahmed was elected as the new board president, while coach and cricket personality Nazmul Abedin Fahim joined as a director. Most director positions remain unfilled.
Currently, the board's daily operations are primarily being managed by the president along with two or three directors.
Hathurusingha's Controversial Exit
Just five days before the home Test series against South Africa began, Chandika Hathurusingha was sacked from his role as head coach of the national team on Oct 5, following a show-cause notice.
According to BCB boss Faruque, the decision was made due to misconduct, including physically assaulting a player, taking extended leave without notice, and other inappropriate behaviour.
Reports had emerged after last year's ODI World Cup that Hathurusingha physically assaulted Nasum Ahmed, but the Nazmul Hassan-led board repeatedly avoided addressing the issue.
However, the new board president claimed that this incident was documented in the investigation report by the previous board’s inquiry committee, which was tasked with analysing the team's World Cup failure.
Hathurusingha denied the allegations in a statement, though no legal or other actions have been reported from his side so far.
At the same press conference where Hathurusingha's dismissal was announced, Phil Simmons was revealed as the new head coach. His contract extends until the February-March Champions Trophy.
Under the Caribbean coach, Bangladesh did not perform well in the series against South Africa and Afghanistan, but achieved notable successes during the West Indies tour, winning a Test and securing a 3-0 victory in the T20 series.
The Shakib Conundrum
Shakib Al Hasan's eventful career, which includes an ICC ban and a string of controversies, took an unprecedented turn in recent months and he went through events that were once unimaginable for him.
At the beginning of the year, Shakib was elected as a member of parliament on an Awami League ticket. Everything seemed normal until July's protests, during which his silence raised questions.
He faced intense criticism over a social media post by his wife during the protests and a comment he made towards a spectator while playing in a T20 league in Canada.
After the fall of the government, while Shakib was touring Pakistan with the Bangladesh team, a murder case was filed with police against him in Dhaka. Despite the allegations, he continued representing the national team abroad, joining tours to both Pakistan and India.
Before the second Test in India, Shakib announced his intention to retire from Test cricket after the October match against South Africa in Mirpur. However, his return to Bangladesh became uncertain due to his status as an accused in the murder case.
Shakib sought assistance from the board and the government to facilitate his farewell on home soil. After several rounds of conflicting statements, hints emerged from the board president and sports advisor that he might receive clearance.
The situation took a new turn as the Mirpur Test approached. A group of protesters launched demonstrations near the Mirpur Stadium to prevent Shakib's return, while fans countered with their own protests demanding his safe return. The atmosphere around the stadium grew tense over several days.
Ultimately, citing security concerns, Shakib was discouraged from returning. On his way back to Bangladesh, he had to turn around from Dubai and has not returned since. As a result, his planned retirement from Test cricket remains unfulfilled. Shakib had expressed his desire to retire from all international cricket after the Champions Trophy in February-March, but that too now seems highly uncertain.
Amid all this, Shakib solidified his place as the most successful left-arm spinner in international cricket history. However, his career took another hit when his bowling action was questioned during a County stint in England, leading to a late-year ban from bowling. Overall, Shakib's career now stands at a critical crossroads.
Women’s Cricket Disappoints
This year has been extremely disappointing for women's cricket in Bangladesh. The team played only six ODIs throughout the year. In March, Nigar Sultana's side succumbed to a whitewash against Australia on home soil. Towards the end of the year, they secured an expected 3-0 series win against Ireland.
However, the embarrassment came when they were clean-swept by the Irish women in T20 matches shortly after. This pattern continued throughout the year. Out of 19 T20s played, Bangladesh managed to win only three!
Among these victories, two came in the Asia Cup against relatively weaker teams like Malaysia and Thailand. In the T20 World Cup, Bangladesh ended a decade-long drought of wins in the global tournament with an expected victory over Scotland. Unfortunately, they lost all three of their subsequent matches.
Overall, the fighting and spirited team image displayed last year was almost entirely absent this year.
Asia's Best Youngsters
Youth cricket continues to bring a stream of success, as always, this year as well. Bangladesh retained the Under-19 Asia Cup title by defeating India once again.
However, several players from this squad will not be eligible to participate in the upcoming Youth World Cup. Despite this, the tournament showcased the remarkable talent of a few young players, including captain Azizul Hakim, who could become key figures for Bangladesh in the future.
In the inaugural Women’s Youth Asia Cup, Bangladesh finished as runners-up after losing to India in the final.
