Afghanistan and Bangladesh is an emerging rivalry (Photo by Fadel SENNA / AFP) (Photo by FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
Much of cricket’s oxygen is being swallowed by the bitter rivalry of India and Pakistan, with the sport – overwhelmingly popular in the nuclear-armed neighboring countries – sadly resembling something of a proxy for the warring nationalistic governments.
With such a nasty fall out from the Asia Cup, as their trio of games descended into chaos, the future of India-Pakistan is unknown with much politicking set for November’s International Cricket Council meetings.
Cricket, quite clearly, needs more rivalries beyond not only India and Pakistan, but also those between the big three nations of India, England and Australia, where most of the spotlight shines.
Look a little into the background and an emerging rivalry is starting to develop between Afghanistan and Bangladesh, fascinating South Asian countries poised to make a rise but are often shunned by the power nations.
Both nations are part of cricket’s elite tier – the 12 Full Members granted more power, funds and playing opportunities.
Afghanistan and Bangladesh are Test playing nations (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
However, Afghanistan are not part of the current nine-team World Test Championship while Bangladesh has not played powers England and Australia in five-day cricket in almost a decade.
It’s meant they’ve had to look around for more playing opportunities, with Bangladesh one of just five countries to play Afghanistan in Test cricket.
They’ve only twice played one-off Tests, an underwhelming number for countries who should play each other more although there is little incentive for Bangladesh to given Afghanistan are not in the WTC.
Perhaps when two divisions in Test cricket gets the all clear, as it is likely to, the countries will start to build on a rivalry that has heated up in shorter form cricket, sparked by a thrilling eight-run win by Afghanistan at the 2024 T20 World Cup during a remarkable semi-final run.
Since 2022, Bangladesh holds a 6-5 edge in ODI cricket and it’s 5-2 in T20Is including a couple of close wins in the current three-match series in Sharjah – the home base for nomadic Afghanistan who don’t play at home due to security issues.
Afghanistan and Bangladesh have played memorable games in recent years (Photo by Darrian Traynor-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
ICC via Getty Images
They will play a subsequent three-match ODI series although the teams aren’t scheduled to face each other again in the current Future Tours Programme through to mid-2027.
Cricket has been finally looking at new frontiers to alleviate the reliance of India and the power nations. The U.S. is the sport’s No.1 target market – despite ongoing tumult – and other appealing growth areas include Brazil and Germany.
But smaller Full Member nations, even in countries where cricket is the No.1 sport like in Bangladesh and Afghanistan, need to be developed through resources, funding and playing opportunities.
If this is done properly then there is every possibility that Bangladesh and Afghanistan can become on-field powerhouses. There is an important off-field element too with the countries, according to insiders, part of the voting bloc of all-powerful India on the influential ICC board.
Both countries have endured plenty of tumult. Afghanistan is seen as a cricket fairytale, a symbol of pride and a rare unifying force in the war-torn country, but the plight of its women cricketers under Taliban rule has cast a shadow.
Much like Afghanistan and other South Asian countries, government interference has been a bane – boards are supposed to be separate from politics under the ICC charter – for Bangladesh.
There has been much chaos since deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country last year, extending to the country’s richest sporting body which is now amid reform.
While much murkiness surrounds Bangladesh and Afghanistan, the possibilities of cricket growth is tantalizing between countries with much common ground as they forge a rivalry that should be monitored closely.
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