Bangladesh review of the 2007 cricketing year

The year 2007 has been a tumultuous year for Bangladesh, with the first half bringing hope and the second half dashing them. Miraz looks back.

January 2007

• Bangladesh name provisional 30 man provisional squad for World Cup Cricket 2007
• Khaled Mashud fined for his "automatic choice" comment to the media
• Khaled Mashud is omitted from the Zimbabwe bound ODI squad

February 2007

• Bangladesh seal a 3-1 one-day international series win over Zimbabwe as they warm up for the World Cup with an impressive contribution from Aftab Ahmed.
• Bangladesh secure victory against Canada and Bermuda in the ICC Tri-Series held in the Caribbean

March 2007

• Bangladesh seal a shock 2 wicket win over New Zealand in their first warm-up match leading to World Cup at the 3Ws stadium in Barbados.
• Bangladesh international all-rounder Manjural Islam Rana is killed in a car accident, along with team-mate Sajjadul Hasan Setu.
• Bangladesh made history by defeating pre-tournament favorite India by 5 wickets in their World Cup opener at the Queens Park Oval, Trinidad.
• Bangladesh storm into the Super Eights stage of the World Cup by defeating Bermuda by 7 wickets
• Bangladesh got all out for a meager 113 in reply to a mammoth 318-4 posted by Sri Lanka as the latter wins by 198 runs..
• After restricting Bangladesh to 104-6 in 22 overs, Australia raced to victory in just 13.5 overs without losing any wicket in a rain affected match.

April 2007

Tigers pulled off a sensational victory in the World Cup against South Africa

• New Zealand crush Bangladesh by 9 wickets in the second Super Eights match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua
• BCB criticizes Whatmore for his interest in the India job in the middle of World Cup campaign and convenes emergency meeting.
• Bangladesh crush South Africa by 67 runs in the super eights match in Guyana, Mohammad Ashraful scripted the historic victory
• England labour to defeat gritty Bangladesh, England overcame another nervy batting display to defeat Bangladesh by four wickets in their World Cup Super Eights match in Bridgetown, Barbados.
• BanglaCricket.com declares cash prizes for Tigers
• Ireland dashes Bangladesh's slim World Cup semifinal hopes after an excellent all-round display handed the debutants a 74-run victory in Bridgetown, Barbados.
• Bangladesh end schizophrenic World Cup 2007 campaign with a 99 run loss to the West Indies.
• After coaching Bangladesh for 4 years and leading them to World Cup Super Eights, Dav Whatmore stepped down as Bangladesh's coach citing personal reasons.
• Bangladesh announce ODI Squad for India series and Mohamad Ashraful is appointed as vice-captain in place of Shahriar Nafees.

May 2007

• Dhoni guides India to victory in the first ODI. Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik with unbeaten half centuries steered India to a five-wicket victory against Bangladesh in the first one-day international in Dhaka
• Gambhir ton guides India to ODI series victory. A fine century from opener Gautam Gambhir steered India to a 46 run win over Bangladesh in the second ODI of the three-match GrameenPhone ODI series at Mirpur Sher E Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka
• Rain reigns in Chittagong: third ODI abandoned. Rain caused by the depression in the east central Bay prevented any play in the final match of the one-day series between Bangladesh and India in Chittagong.
• Bangladesh announce the Test squad for the two-match GrameenPhone series against India. Khaled Mashud retained in the Test squad.
• Bangladesh hand Test cap to Shakib Al Hasan
• Cautious Bangladesh settle for a draw in the first Test against India in Chittagong.
• India lead rout and complete emphatic win in the Dhaka Test. India won the second and final Test of two match GrameenPhone Test series by an emphatic margin of an innings and 239 runs inside three days.
• Habibul Bashar steps down as Bangladesh one-day captain. He is replaced in both forms of the game by Mohammad Ashraful.

June 2007

The new look Bangladesh: Captain Ashraful and Deputy Mashrafee

• Mohammad Ashraful appointed as Bangladesh captain, Mashrafe Mortaza deputy. After a long period of speculations, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced that Mohammad Ashraful will take charge of the Bangladesh side in both Tests and One Day Internationals (ODI).
• Bangladesh announce Test squad for Sri Lanka tour. Mushfiqur Rahim and Abdur Razzak recalled while Habibul Bashar retained his place as a batsman.
• Four Bangladesh players (Razzak, Ashraful, Mashrafe & Tamim) represent the Asia XI in the only Twenty20 match of the Afro Asia Cup 2007
• Mohammad Rafique picks 4-65 in the 3rd ODI as Asia XI whitewashed Africa XI in the three-match Afro Asia Cup.
• Bangladesh slip to crushing defeat in the First Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo. Bangladesh lost by an innings and 234 run in the first Test of the three-match Laqshya series at Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo.

July 2007

• Sri Lanka clinches the Test series by winning the 2nd Test. Sri Lanka won by an innings and 90 runs at the P Saravanamuttu Stadium to seal the series 2-0 with one Test to play.
• Murali milestone sinks Bangladesh. Muttiah Muralitharan became just the second bowler in history to reach 700 Test wickets as Sri Lanka rounded off a clean sweep of Bangladesh at Kandy, they defeated Bangladesh by an innings and 193 runs
• Bangladesh recall Shahriar Nafees for the ODI series. Habibul Bashar is dropped from the ODI squad for the first time in 4 years.
• Bangladesh beat Nepal to win ACC womens tournament. Bangladesh overpowered Nepal by eight wickets to win the inaugural ACC Women's Tournament in Johor Bahru, Malyasia.
• Bangladesh prevail in tense finish against Sri Lanka Invitation XI. Aftab Ahmed guided Bangladesh to the solitary victory with a match-winning 92 in a three-wicket win against a Sri Lankan XI in Colombo.
• Fernando powers Sri Lanka to victory in the first ODI. Dilhara Fernando put in a superb spell (4-24) of bowling as Sri Lanka defeated Bangladesh by 70 runs in the first ODI of the three match Laqshya series.
• Jayasuriya stars in Sri Lanka win in the second ODI. Sri Lanka trounced Bangladesh by 5 wickets inside 32 overs in the second ODI, Jayasuriya scored 24 runs and bagged 4 wickets for 31 runs.
• Sri Lanka completes whitewash in the ODI series. A 82 ball 72 from Jehan Mubarak helped Sri Lanka complete a 3-0 clean sweep in the one-day series against Bangladesh.
• The Bangladesh government dissolves the Bangladesh Cricket Board and appoints a 12-man interim committee under Major-General Sina Ibn Jamali, the chief of general staff of the army.

August 2007

• Shaun Williams remain in charge of Bangladesh for the Twenty 20 World Cup. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) appointed Shaun Williams, BCB game development manager, as interim Bangladesh coach for the Twenty 20 World Cup held in South Africa.
• Bangladeshi cricketers experience an "Australian style boot camp" in the north-eastern Sylhet division under a special military unit as part of their warm up campaign for the Twenty20 World Cup.
• Bangladesh name three uncapped players in the Twenty20 Squad. Junaed Siddique Imroz, Nazim Uddin and Ziaur Rahman were called up while seniors missed out.
• Tigers reach Kenya to participate in the Twenty20 Quadrangular Tournament as part of their warm up campaign for the inaugural Twenty 20 World Cup in South Africa

September 2007

Bangladesh celebrate their victory against West Indies, Bangladesh v West Indies, Group A, ICC World Twenty20, Johannesburg

• Bangladesh canter to 5-wicket win against Kenya. Bangladesh comfortably won their first match against Kenya by 5 wickets in the Twenty 20 Quadrangular tournament at Nairobi Gymkhana Ground in Kenya.
• Pakistan edge past Bangladesh in Twenty 20 thriller. Bangladesh lost their second match of the Twenty20 Quadrangular against Pakistan by 30 runs in a high scoring thrilling contest at the Nairobi Gymkhana Ground.
• Below par Bangladesh overcome spirited Uganda. Bangladesh managed to defeat a spirited Uganda by 21 runs despite a lion hearted performance from Joel Olweni in the fifth match of the Twenty 20 Quadrangular tournament at Nairobi.
• Bangladesh make light work to see off Scotland. Bangladesh outclassed Scotland to wrap up a comfortable 6 wicket victory in the first warm up match for the Twenty 20 World Cup at Supersport Park in centurion.
• Kenya secure win against hapless Bangladesh in Twenty20 warm up. A disciplined Kenya secured their first win against Bangladesh in the second round of the warm up match at Willowmoore park in Benoni.
• Explosive Bangladesh storm into the second round of the Twenty20 World Cup. An astounding display of power hitting by Bangladesh skipper Mohammad Ashraful and dashing Aftab Ahmed secured a comprehensive 6 wicket win over West Indies with 2 overs to spare at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
• Feisty Tigers gunned down by South Africa. Afeisty Bangladesh succumbed to a seven wicket defeat against host South Africa in the second and final group stage match of the Twenty 20 World Cup at Newlands in Cape Town.
• Hapless Tigers mauled in Cape Town by Australia, a timorous Bangladesh were completely outplayed by the world champion Australia in the super eight match of the Twenty 20 World Cup at Newlands in Cape Town.
• Sri Lanka trounce Bangladesh by 64 runs. Sri Lanka outplayed Tigers in the all important super 8 clash of the Twenty20 World Cup by 64 runs at The Wanderers in Johannesburg.
• Pakistan edge past Bangladesh despite Junaed heroics. Junaed Siddique struck a dazzling half-century on debut for Bangladesh, but Pakistan still comfortably secured a four-wicket victory at Newlands in Cape Town.
• Ashraful calls for full-time coach. Mohammad Ashraful, Bangladesh's captain, called for the appointment of a full-time coach ahead of his side's tour to New Zealand at the end of the year.
• Harmer withdraws candidature. John Harmer turned down a potential opportunity to become Bangladesh coach.

October 2007

• Ali Asghar Lobi, the former president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), gets a 13 years jail sentence after being found guilty of corruption by a Dhaka court.
• Bangladesh women team gets cash rewards. Each member of the victorious Bangladesh women's squad awarded 50,000 taka (US$ 735) by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for winning the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) women's tournament in July.
• BCB rules out Miller. Colin Miller was ruled out of the running to be the new Bangladesh coach by Bangladesh Cricket Board
• A coach finally!!Bangladesh appoints Jamie Siddons as national coach. Siddons becomes the third Australian after Trevor Chappel and Dave Whatmore to coach Bangladesh.
• Bangladesh is placed in group A along with India and Zimbabwe in the 2009 ICC World Twenty 20 Championship. The grouping was done based on the performances of the inaugural Twentgy 20 Championship where Bangladesh progressed to the second round.

November 2007

• The Indian board confirmed a tri-series in Bangladesh in May 2008 also involving Pakistan
• New Zealand offers a Twenty 20 Charity match to raise funds for the Sidr affected people
• BCB extends tenures of Mohammad Ashraful as Captain and Mashrafe Mortaza as vice-captain until December 2008.
• Bangladesh announces ODI squad for New Zealand series. Zunaed Siddique earned a call, but opener Shahriar Nafees and offspinner Mahmudullah were dropped from the team that were run over by Sri Lanka in July.

December 2007

• Bangladesh's players' association, the Cricketers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB), gains the full membership of the Federation of International Cricketers' Association ( FICA).
• Bangladesh reaches New Zealand for the first full series after gaining the Test status; Ashraful vows improvement.
• Bangladesh lose the tour opener warm-up. Northern Districts defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets in a one-day match in the visitors' tour opener.
• Sajidul replaces injured Rasel for the Kiwi tour. Syed Rasel was ruled out of the Kiwi tour due to a collarbone injury and young Barisal pacer Sajidul Islam was named as his replacement.
• Bangladesh send Razin Saleh to New Zealand as cover for injured Tushar Imran.
• Bangladesh lose by 7 wickets despite Tamim heroics. Auckland breezed past Bangladesh's total of 242 with 7 wickets in hand and 4 overs to spare as a 122 ball 104 from young opener Tamim Iqbal failed to inspire rest of the Bangladeshi batting.
• Bangladesh win Twenty20 match to register first victory in New Zealand. Bangladesh won its first match in New Zealand soil when they beat a New Zealand XI by four wickets in a charity Twenty20 game at Seddon Park in Hamilton.
• Tigers blow strong start as New Zealand cruise to victory. Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful scored an entertaining 57 ball 70 to earn the man of the match of award, but could not prevent his side's loss against the Kiwis in the first ODI.
• Impressive New Zealand take National Bank series. A strong batting performance from the Kiwi top order batsmen coupled with an ordinary display from the Tigers ensured an emphatic series win for New Zealand with one match in hand at Napier.
• Bangladesh humiliated in Queenstown. Bangladesh ends 2007 with a disgraceful loss against the Kiwis in the 3rd and final ODI of the National Bank series at Queenstown. After dismantling the Bangladesh batting cheaply, New Zealand toyed with Bangladesh attack and stormed to the victory target of 93 in just 6 overs.