‘We are going to the Champions Trophy to become champions.’
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto made this statement during the pre-departure press conference of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on February 12.
‘All eight teams deserve to be champions in this tournament. They are all quality teams. I believe our team has the ability,’ added Shanto.
However, just 11 days later, Bangladesh once again found themselves out of another ICC tournament before reaching the knockout stage.
Shanto might have believed that they had the ability to go all the way, but on the ground, the way Bangladesh displayed their cricket, it was visible that a trophy win remained a far cry for them.
Forget about winning it; reaching knockout stages eludes Bangladesh more often.
Since the beginning of this millennium, Bangladesh has only advanced to the knockout stages of major tournaments twice— reaching the quarterfinals in the 2015 World Cup and the semifinals in the 2017 Champions Trophy.
That is the lowest among the ICC full-member countries, excluding Afghanistan and Ireland, who only got their full membership eight years ago compared to Bangladesh’s 25 years.
However, Bangladesh national team’s senior assistant coach Muhammad Salahuddin believes that the players have the ability.Â
‘If we lacked ability, we wouldn’t have qualified for the Champions Trophy,’ Salahuddin said before their washed-out dead rubber game against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.
‘We are among the top eight teams in the world, which means we have potential. However, potential alone isn’t enough—we need better execution.’
The rise of Afghanistan cricket, who have already played the semifinals in the ICC T20 World Cup and has been consistently performing well in ICC tournaments, also poses challenges for Bangladesh.
ODIs have been favorite format for the Tigers as they’ve had the most success. But the records in recent times are saying otherwise.
From 2020 to 2022, Bangladesh’s win-loss ratio in ODIs was 2.333, whereas that decreased to 0.538 in the period between 2023 and present.
From inconsistency in selection to scheduling, planning and preparation before going into a tournament often come under scrutiny for Bangladesh.
Bangladesh went into the Champions Trophy this time without playing any ODI matches in the lead-up, as the players were busy with the Bangladesh Premier League.
Salahuddin thinks they needed better preparation and planning.
‘As for preparation, planning is key. Other teams had year-long preparation strategies leading into this tournament. We lacked that structured approach.’
‘If the BPL had ended earlier, it would have allowed for better preparation. Moving forward, we need to plan and execute more effectively to ensure the team is in the best possible shape for major tournaments,’ added Salahudidn.
The veteran coach stated that all parties need to step up if they want to change their track records in major tournaments like this.
‘Preparation plays a crucial role. Other teams like India and England had structured plans leading up to the tournament, whereas we had to adjust quickly after the BPL.
‘Proper planning at all levels—from players to management and the board—is essential. We must analyze where we fall short and make strategic adjustments to compete more effectively in major tournaments,’ added Salahuddin.
If Bangladesh cricket team wants to give back to its extensive fanbase, the involved parties must quickly establish and implement those plans and strategies.
