Tests first as WTC dream takes wings

Bangladesh’s lofty goal in the current World Test Championship (WTC) cycle have been discussed in hushed tones in the corridors of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). The team management is not too keen on speaking too early, but with ODI and T20I World Cup qualifications already sealed, the red-ball format is the board’s highest priority until the end of the WTC cycle.

The WTC has reached the halfway stage, and with six months remaining, the race for the top two spots is heating up. The Tigers are ranked fourth on Points Percentage (PCT) -- the percentage of total points a team have won out of the total they could have earned -- and can push for a top-two finish.

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Australia and South Africa currently lead the standings with PCTs of 80 and 75, respectively, followed by New Zealand (72.2), Bangladesh (55.56) and India (51.52). Three of the past four WTC finalists qualified with a PCT of 66.67 or higher, while India secured a spot in 2023 with the lowest PCT of 58.8 across the three editions.

Bangladesh’s PCT rose to just over 66 after the Darwin victory but fell following the Mackay Test. They can return to contention with five wins in their next six Tests, while four wins and a draw would leave them just short of a PCT of 64.

The next four matches will be crucial to Bangladesh’s hopes, and chief selector Habibul Bashar said they do not want to lose momentum.

“We have two at home against West Indies and two away to South Africa. If we can do well in these matches, then we will have an advantage of going further,” Bashar told The Daily Star on Tuesday.

“This is usually not the case [the situation Bangladesh find themselves in]. Players at times go through lack of form or injuries, and things may not work in our favour, but this time, everything has gone our way and we don’t want to lose that momentum,” he added.

While the Mackay Test exposed areas that still need improvement, the think tank does not believe there is room for experimentation or wholesale changes.

“We want to put the best possible team out there. When there are three formats, workload management comes into the equation. But now Tests will be prioritised ahead of the other two formats, and you will see players rotated in ODIs and T20Is,” Bashar informed.

Despite a successful Australia tour, fast-bowling coach Talha Jubair says the job is not finished, with the need for control from the pace unit likely to be even greater in South Africa’s pacey and bouncy conditions.

“To take 20 wickets, your pace bowler is a must. Our challenge [in South Africa] is the same [as Australia], how disciplined we can remain again,” Talha said.

The batting and bowling groups will draw up specific plans according to the conditions, but above all, BCB are now heavily focused on making the most of the opportunity this Test cycle has presented.