The Japan Times - Bangladesh Test cricket reboot delivers in style with historic win

The country's first-ever Test win on Australian soil on Sunday came after years of efforts to make red-ball cricket a priority, both financially and structurally, former players said.

Following a players' strike and the suspension of star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan in 2019, Bangladesh endured a difficult tour of India, prompting a rethink at the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

One of the board's key decisions was to overhaul player contracts and significantly increase financial incentives for Test cricket, former captain Akram Khan told AFP.

Before 2019, Bangladesh players operated under a single central contract covering all three formats.

The BCB introduced separate contracts for Tests, ODIs and Twenty20 internationals, while doubling the Test match fee to 800,000 taka ($6,500).

Khan, then head of BCB's cricket operations, said the move was designed to encourage players to place greater value on the longest format.

"There was not much financial incentive for players to prioritise Test cricket," he said.

"We thought that if we increased the financial reward for Tests compared with the other two formats, the situation could change."

The reforms extended beyond player fees.

The BCB decided to prepare greener pitches for the domestic National Cricket League and introduced Dukes balls.

The moves were aimed at developing fast bowlers capable of competing overseas, instead of relying on the country's traditional strength of spin bowling.

- Seizing the chance -

Former player and selector Abdur Razzak said the changes helped nurture talents such as pace bowler Nahid Rana.

"All those decisions we took back then are now helping us get the result we wanted for a long time, which is to be a competitive side away from home," Razzak said.

Remarkably, Bangladesh pacemen accounted for all the wickets in Australia's first-innings 198 in Darwin, with Hasan Mahmud taking career-best figures of 6-55.

The fast-bowling progress has been evident in recent years.

Bangladesh have secured Test victories in New Zealand and the West Indies, swept Pakistan at home and away, before their breakthrough against Australia by an emphatic nine wickets.

The Darwin Test also ended Bangladesh's 23-year wait for a match in Australia.

Bangladesh had not played a Test there since 2003 after several planned tours failed to materialise.

The match, part of the World Test Championship cycle, was staged in Darwin, rather than more popular venues like Melbourne and Sydney.

It was also not scheduled during Australia's traditional home summer season.

But Bangladesh seized the opportunity, dominating top-ranked Australia in all facets of the game.

The shock result could strengthen their position in future scheduling negotiations.

"There will be an FTP meeting next month," BCB president Tamim Iqbal said, referring to the International Cricket Council's Future Tours Programme.

"This victory will help us in discussions with other teams," Iqbal told reporters in Dhaka on Sunday.

"We will try to make the FTP as competitive as possible and play against the bigger teams."

S.Suzuki--JT