Tamim Iqbal, the captain of Bangladesh ODI team, has expressed unhappiness that his team is not given more opportunities to travel England and Australia.
Bangladesh has not played a bilateral series in England since 2010, when they played two Tests and three One-Day Internationals.
Tamim, then 21 years old, scored hundreds at Lord’s and Old Trafford, and despite Bangladesh’s heavy defeats in both Tests, a stunning victory in Bristol pushed the ODI series to a decider.
Much more time has passed since their last bilateral tour to Australia, a three-match ODI series in 2008. According to the ICC’s Future Tours Programme, they are scheduled to travel there for two Tests in March 2027, but are not scheduled to play an away series against England in this edition of the FTP.
“2010 is a long way off,” Tamim told the Daily Mirror of the United Kingdom. “But, I shall always remember those inningss. Scoring a century in England is difficult, especially for our team. After I retire from cricket, I will carry the memories with me for the rest of my life.
“Those two are quite dear to me, but the most essential thing is that you should invite us more frequently. Unfortunately, that was the last time we played there. Bangladesh is currently in a position where we should travel Australia and England more frequently, and I do not understand why this is not the case.
“It has been thirteen years since we last visited England. After doing so well, especially in white-ball cricket, it’s a shame that we haven’t gone on another trip.”
More than 600,000 people in England and Wales registered as Bangladeshi in the 2021 census, and Bangladesh’s matches at the Champions Trophy in 2017 and the World Cup in 2019 drew large audiences.
Tamim feels the same would occur if Bangladesh was invited on a bilateral tour. “I can assure you that there will be fewer England fans and more Bangladeshi fans,” he remarked.
“If you recall the 2017 Champions Cup, we really outnumbered English supporters… If we are invited to play in England in any format, there will be a packed house.”
Bangladesh is scheduled to tour England later this year, but Ireland will be their opponent. In the last matches of the ICC’s Super League, three One-Day Internationals are scheduled to be played in Chelmsford during the second week of May. The schedule has not yet been finalized.
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