ICC World Cup 2019 | SWOT Analysis â Bangladesh
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After getting rid of the âminnowsâ tag with back-to-back impressive performances, Bangladesh are not here just to participate, but to give the teams a run for their money. Despite being rated as one of the underdogs, Bangladesh have managed to spring surprises at an impeccable consistency.
The Tigers sharpened their claws after making it to the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Cup and did well in the tournament that followed where they lost in the semi-finals of 2017 Champions Trophy. Bangladesh have won 17 games since 2018 and emerged victorious in the recently concluded tri-nation series against Ireland and West Indies. To add to their good fortunes, they were runners-up in the 2018 Asia Cup, which is an indication of their intimidating development.
In this edition, with the kind of core they have, Bangladesh are well capable of making it to the semi-finals. They have a fine mixture of experienced players and budding talent, which should pose a threat to many teams in such a long edition.Â
The likes of Mashrafe Mortaza, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, and Shakib Al Hasan have been around for a while and were also the key reasons behind creating a massive upset for India in the 2007 World Cup. Since then, theyâve come a long way and have only got better. Mortaza has led the side with astuteness and is well aware of their weaknesses and strengths, which is pivotal in a big tournament like World Cup. He has manoeuvred his resources well and will hold the key for Bangladeshâs success in the tournament.Â
StrengthÂ
Intact core
Saying that Bangladesh have a fabulous core would be an understatement; the likes Mortaza, Rahim, Shakib and Tamim have mastered their game and share 805 ODIs between them. Their experience will only benefit the side but also the players around them. They have been in crunch situations before and have only got better in dealing with them. Tamim has been instrumental with the bat in recent times while Mushfiqur has only grown in confidence. While Mortaza is in the twilight of his career, Shakib is currently the best all-rounder in ODI cricket, and this is where their strength lies. Mahmudllahâs recent form will only add fire to this core and has done reasonably well in the tri-nation series as well.  Â
WeaknessÂ
Dearth of established players outside the coreÂ
While Bangladeshâs strength lies in their magnificent core, they donât have enough established players outside it, which is also their biggest weakness. They have talent and have shown occasional sparks of brilliance, but a tournament like World Cup will pose challenge of a different kind and demand consistency. It will be interesting to see if they step up and deliver or rely heavily on the core. Â
Opportunity Â
This World Cup will provide a golden chance to the promising young guns like Mustafizur, Soumya, Liton, and Saifuddin to stamp their authority on the big stage. They have shown enough promise and itâs time they convert it on the big stage. While Soumya Sarkar played the 2015 World Cup, Mustafizur, Liton Das, and Saifuddin will feature for the first time and will look to make an immediate impression. Liton looked to be in a good nick in the warm-up game against India while Mustafizur bowled well with the new ball, which should only infuse confidence.Â
Threat Â
Bangladeshi batsmen have looked like sitting ducks against high-quality seam bowling, which teams like Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa have. Their batsmen have not been able to score freely and with England expected to be a batting paradise; this weakness can be exploited brutally.Â
SportsCafe Predicted XI: Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudllah, Mehidy Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza (C), Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Mohammad Saifuddin.
Bangladesh squad: Mashrafe Mortaza (C), Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan (VC), Soumya Sarkar, Liton Das, Sabbir Rahman, Mehidy Hasan, Mohammad Mithun, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mosaddek Hossain, Abu Jayed.
