Despite unexpected results in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and Asia Cup, Tigers ended the 2023 with a high note after finishing the year as unbeaten in T20 series they drew the last match with New Zealand on Sunday.
While national Football team played 15 international matches, won six, drew five and suffered four defeats.
Bangladesh National cricket team played four T20 series in 2023 when they won three and drew one to finish the year as unbeaten and this is the first time Bangladesh earned such an achievement in their cricket history.
However, the year 2023 Bangladesh cricket had mixed experiences when Tigers celebrated some success and as well as some of their failures were too much shocking for the cricket fans.
But winning Bronze medal in the Asian Games of both Men’s and Women’s cricket teams were also a big achievement of cricket in 2023.
Bangladesh had the best result with the Under-19 team winning the men’s Asia Cup tournament for the first time outplaying the favourites, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
But the national team, though did splendid results in Test and T20 formats, they could not comply with the expectations in the ODI format.
Specially, in the ICC men’s ODI Cricket World Cup Tigers were too much gloomy, their early exit were huge upsetting for the cricket fans.
Tigers failed to translate their aptitude in the most coveted Men’s ICC Cricket World Cup and Asia Cup. But in the T20 competition and simultaneously, performances of women’s cricket were very impressive in 2023.
Bangladesh miserably failed in the Men’s Cricket World Cup when they could manage only two wins out of nine matches and in the Asia Cup also they could win only two matches.
So apart from World Cup and Asia Cup, the overall outcome of Bangladeshi cricket in 2023 was a bit optimistic and promising.
First of all in Test cricket statistically Bangladesh had a good times in 2023 as they recorded three victories out of four matches including one against New Zealand.
Bangladesh earned their highest ever Test victory when they outclassed Ireland by seven wickets before crushing Afghanistan by 546 runs, the third largest victory in Test cricket history and for Bangladesh the highest against any team.
Najmul Hossain Shanto outshined others in individual performances scoring centuries in both innings to become second Bangladeshi batter after Mominul Haque to hit centuries in both innings of a Test.
Bangladesh then defeated New Zealand by 150 runs in Sylhet but when it was expected that they would be unbeaten in Test format in 2023, conceded a four-wicket defeat at the home of cricket Shere-e-Bangla national Cricket Stadium.
But the glories of winning Test matches completely bleached when they lost three ODI series at home to England, Afghanistan and New Zealand, who just stunned Bangladesh at their preferred pitch.
But the Tigers regained some of their pride in New Zealand, when despite conceding the ODI series defeat, Bangladesh routed the Black Caps by nine wickets in the third and final game which was Tigers' first win and ended the their (Tigers) 17-match winning draught on New Zealand soil.
Off the field episode of Tamim Iqbal’s surprising announcement to retire and then turned up the decision within 24 hours after Prime Ministers’ intervened and his outburst after being not considered in the World Cup Cricket.
The bitter relationship with Shakib Al Hasan, was also much talks off the field issue of cricket arena in 2023.
Criticizing of Shakib Al Hassan with the Tamim's professionalism immensely irritated the dashing opener of Bangladesh just on the eve of the World Cup.
Shakib in a television interview publicly questioned about Tamim’s commitment and professionalism, which turned into as a burning issue in the cricket arena and the controversy remains as an unsettled chapter of 2023.
The young Tigers made a history when the Under-19 team triumphed the unbeaten champions in Asia Cup this year. It was extraordinary performances for the Under-19 team when on the way to the final they beat India and Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Women's cricket team also went through an extremely successful year 2023. They forced mighty India to draw the three-match ODI series 1-1 at home in July. Even they won a T20 match against India before losing the series by 2-1. Bangladesh played tough cricket in that series to keep Indian under enormous pressure.
Specially, in the third match, after a huge excitement Tigresses keeping their big match temperament ended the match on tie when their Indian counterparts were heading to win the match. Tigress won the bronze medal in Asian Games before beating Pakistan by 2-1 in both ODI and T20 series.
But their progress was very much noticeable in South Africa where they clinched their maiden T20 and ODI victory. They draw the T20 series by 1-1 but lost the ODI series eventually by 2-1. However, it was an exciting season 2023 for the Women's crick of Bangladesh.
Football
Bangladesh national football team also spent the 2023 with mixed experiences like cricket when rather than a huge defeat to Australia, they spent some good times in international arena at home and away grounds.
Bangladesh national team played 15 international matches in 2023 won six, drew five and suffered four defeats when in the international club competition, Bashundhara Kings moved into the second round in the AFC Cup.
The Bangladesh Premier League football champions Kings failed to move into the Playoff round of the AFC Cup due to controversial decision of a Vietnam referee during their vital match against Odisha FC of India.
However, the national side played in the semifinal of the SAFF Championship, though they failed to move into the final, their performances were very much encouraging.
Specially, Bangladesh national football team’s great success was to qualify in the second phase of the World Cup 2026 and the Asia Cup 2027, in the pre-qualifying round they beat Maldives. In the second round Bangladesh drew with Lebanon in Dhaka with playing dominating football.
Bangladesh women national football team, who had only opportunity to play just one international competition in the Asian Games 2022 (was held in 2023), did not do well as they lost two out of three matches and drew one with Nepal.
But in the two-match series of FIFA friendly they just thrashed their Singapore counterpart with winning the matches by 3-0 and 8-0 at home ground and ended the year with a winning note.
However, Bangladesh national Uner-23 team also had a mixed experience in the Asian Games when they were too much ill-fated failing to move into the knockout phase, as they suffered defeats to Myanmar and India by a solitary goal in each match, despite demonstrating better performances. Bangladesh’s young booters conceded defeat to Myanmar by an own goal at the late hour of the match when they suffered defeat to India by a penalty goal before few minutes of the final whistle. But the youngsters of Red and Green sides played a goalless draw against the hosts China, who demolished India by 5-0 and Myanmar by 4-0 respectively.
