Future for the minnow

[Autobahn]

Can you see any of the minnow teams (Bang/Zim) becoming worthy test teams in the near future?

I think that Bangladesh might become a tricky team to beat at home especially if they get hold of a steady middle order which is good against spin and develop pitches to suit their spinners (much like india did at one stage). But away from home especially on faster ptiches i can't see ithem mproving that much.

Zimbabwe on the other is just going to sooner or later get banned from cricket and get isolated internationally.

Any thoughts?

 

[Robertinho]

Bangladesh, I think will become very good. Look at their U19 team - dominant. Will take a while though.

Zimbabwe.. ugh. The sooner they are banned the better.

 

[open365]

The furture's bright for Bangladesh,i hope.

 

[greg]

Some people seem to be putting rather a lot of faith in this Bangladesh U19 side. Most countries would be pleased if any more than a couple of players from any U19 side made it into the test side, let alone had successful careers, even those that had good systems for allowing the players to make the transition without having to run before they walk.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Yes but at least it shows that there is talent coming through.

So, my view:

Bangladesh will become competent, much like SL.

Zimbabwe, oh no.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

But Bangladesh have got considerable talent - one or two of the England/Sri Lanka U19 players will play Tests - the talent has to come from somewhere - but the Bangladesh team had several players who played considerably well in the Tri Series. Have a look at a Test/ODI Xi looking like this in 7 or 8 years time:

1 Shahriar Nafees (c)
2 Nafees Iqbal (possibly weakesr link, maybe should be Golam Rahman)
3 Saqibul Hasan (sla)
4 Mohammad Ashraful
5 Aftab Ahmed
6 Rajin Saleh/Alok Kapali/Shamsur Rehman
7 Mushfiqur Rahim (w)
8 Nadif Chowdhury (sla) or Syed Rasel (lmf)
9 Shahadat Hossain (rfm)
10 Mashrafe Mortaza (rmf)
11 Enamul Haque jnr (sla)

One thing is for sure, the Bangladeshis do have the best stockpile of slow left armers in the world (Rafique, Islam Rana, Enanul Haque jnr, Abdur Razzak, Nadif Chowdhury, Saqibul)

 

[Tomm NCCC]

Mohammed Ashraful - Nuff said. This lad is just one example of the many Young talented Bangledeshi's. I can indeed see Bangladesh going on to become a respectable test team, and after "that match" in cardiff, also in the one day arena. As for Zimbabwe... well never mind, eh?

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Check out the Bangladesh Season thread Tomm - Ashraful's been in shocking form recently.

 

[JASON]

SL has just recently re-joined the ranks of the minnows again!!

 

[Pratters]

SL has just recently re-joined the ranks of the minnows again!!

It hasnt yet Mr. pessimistic Sri Lankan fan but the way its going, it may well in the future.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Bangladesh have not got a snowball in hells chance of becoming a good Test side in the near future. They are still light years behind the standard of Sri Lanka in the mid-70's. They should not have been granted Test status. Zimbabwe is a different kettle of bananas, they could just about scrape together a competitive Test side if they could choose all their best players, but they are going to be banned sooner or later anyway.

 

[andyc]

Yes but at least it shows that there is talent coming through.

So, my view:

Bangladesh will become competent, much like SL.

Zimbabwe, oh no.

Pretty much what I think. I would have preferred Bangladesh to have been given a few more years before playing tests, but over the next, say 5 years, they'll start to win a few tests I reckon. Or at least bloody draw a few!

 

[Dasa]

Bangladesh'll definitiely become a good Test side in the future...as JJ has said, you just have to look at some of the talent coming through and their performances at U-19 levels and the like. It's just a matter of time until that success becomes Test success.

Zimbabwe haven't a chance of becoming a decent side again unless something is done about the whole domestic situation.

 

[James90]

Ashraful will hang around forever. Might be dropped once or twice. Aftab has tremendous talent but like Alok and Hannan I fear he'll just fizzle out and never return. I would love to see Alok return aswell because he's so brilliant techniquely and could potentially be a genuine all-rounder.

The batting is the weakness at the moment but with Shahriah Nafees at the top and the likes of Tamim Iqbal and Saqibal Islam coming through it stands as a formidable batting lineup. The problem with the team at the moment is the middle order. Ashraful, Aftab, Rajin and Tushar are far too inconsistent.

Mushfiqur Rahim is a very good wicketkeeper and committed cricketer. He's not a worry. They're more than covered for spin with Enamul Jnr, Rana, Razzak and Shorowbowowowa Shuvo could be useful in the sorter form.

The big problem along with the middle order is the lack of quality fast bowlers. When Mashrafe is injured (as he often is) there isn't anyone to step up. Syed Rasel has showed a lot of promice and I think he'll have a long career in the national team. Shahadat strikes me as a slower Shaun Tait, someone who will take a bag full of wickets one day and go for 200 the next. Hopefully the Pacer Hunt will uncover something because it's not looking good at the moment.

 

[JASON]

The amount of Passionate following Bangladesh has is bound to result in some very high quality players emerging as has been shown at U-19 level and it wouldn't be too long before they beat the declining Sri Lankans and the deteriorating West Indians.

The Amount of Corruption in Sri Lankan Cricket Board and the amount of infighting, Political interference and the Umpteen number of Cricket Board wholesale dismissals by Sri Lankan Government - all these put together should ensure that Sri Lanka join the minnows soon (if not already according to the much revered Cricket Web Forum member Pratyush ) and stay there for a very long time !!

 

[jack_sparrow]

EXIT zimbabwae


ENTER

Scotland
Ireland
Japan
USA (thats for sure in the near future)
and China?
Also look for Brazil or Cuba. No sheeting folks.

 

[Josh]

Yes but at least it shows that there is talent coming through.

So, my view:

Bangladesh will become competent, much like SL.

Zimbabwe, oh no.

Hahaha my thoughts exactly.

Scotland definitely could be someone to look out for.

 

[andyc]

China?

China's a looooooong way off, despite what you may read every now and then. They don't even have a national team, and the only league they have is completely run by and played by ex-pats. There was only one team I knew of that had Chinese players in it, and that was the Shanghai Pearls, the woman's team, of which only about half were locals. That said, the government has said they will start promoting the game and teaching it in schools, and they have apparantly already designated a ground in Beijing.

Despite that, every week we'd get passerby's stop for anywhere up to 15 minutes to watch what the hell was going on, and most people you talked to would have no idea what cricket is. If the government is serious about cricket, though, they won't take long to become competitve, being a Communist country and all. But the fact that there is absolutely zero cricket on Chinese TV, save for illegal satellite, means they still have a very long way to go. And I'd like to point out that the national Chinese rugby team consistently lost to or only barely beat the Shanghai ex-pat team (albeit helped a bit by one or two visiting ex-international players), and the Chinese have been trying to play rugby for a while I think.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Scotland will never become a Test side because any player of genuine Test class will play for England. One of the funny things about this summer were all the Scots praying for an Aussie win even though the "England" team is actually representing Great Britain.

 

[adharcric]

Bangladesh will make lots of progress. Zimbabwe has been disgraceful and Tatenda Taibu - the lone talent with a genuine future there - should migrate to South Africa and succeed Mark Boucher.