Bangladesh have been drawn in Group C alongside England, West Indies, Nepal and Italy for next year’s ICC T20 World Cup, to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

When Mushfiqur Rahim debuted for Bangladesh back in 2005 at the age of 18, Dav Whatmore was the head coach of the Tigers. On the occasion of Mushfiqur’s 100th Test, the 71-year-old former Australia batter talked to The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan and shared his observation about Mushfiqur’s illustrious career. The excerpts are as follows:

After a long spell away from red-ball cricket, the Tigers are back in whites as they prepare for the first Test of their two-match series against Ireland at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. On Monday, the eve of the opener, the Tigers trained in high spirits, soaking in the gentle Sylhet sunshine. Naturally, the cameras found veteran Mushfiqur Rahim, poised to make his 99th Test appearance. The session included with a lively game of football, one even spin-bowling coach Saqlain Mushtaq could not resist. Newly-appointed specialised batting coach Mohammad Ashraful was seen sharing tips alongside outgoing senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin, who maintained his familiar hands-on approach. Meanwhile, pace bowling coach Shaun Tait remained in his element, working closely with his pack of fast bowlers. Photos: Firoz Ahmed

Once again, Bangladeshi cricket lovers fell under the spell of supporting the Tigers -- creatures whose body stripes were, some say, stitched by He Who Shall Not Be Named.

Bangladesh’s stand-in captain Jaker Ali offered a straightforward explanation after the 11-run defeat to Pakistan in their final Super Four match in the Asia Cup, saying a batting failure cost them the game on Thursday in Dubai, just like it had done the previous day against India.

Bangladesh all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz won’t feature in the upcoming three-match T20I series against Netherlands as he asked the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to be excluded from the series, citing family reasons.

Bangladesh's batting effort in T20Is have lagged behind global standards over the years and the lack of power-hitting skills has often been talked about as the biggest reason.

Bangladesh batter Jaker Ali Anik said that he and the team have set their sights on winning the Asia Cup, slated to begin in September in the UAE.

While listing off issues plaguing Bangladesh batters in international cricket across formats, inconsistency has to be placed somewhere around the top.

The Tigers suffer from megalophobia -- they fear large targets.

Bangladesh ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan began his Global Super League campaign in fine fashion, scoring a brisk half-century to guide Dubai Capitals to 165 for seven against Central Districts in the tournament opener at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Thursday.

Former Bangladesh captain Akram Khan wasn’t impressed with the Tigers’ batting efforts in the 2-1 series loss against hosts Sri Lanka in the ongoing tour and questioned the mental approach of the batters.

Bangladesh’s cricketing narrative has rarely followed a smooth arc. It has often flowed between flashes of brilliance and extended stretches of inconsistency.

Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain needs to go back to the training ground and rethink how he wants to win games for the Tigers. Because what he has been dishing out in Bangladesh’s consecutive T20I tours of the UAE and Pakistan has been nothing short of ordinary.

The Pakistan cricket team is set to arrive in Bangladesh on the tentative date of July 18, according sources at the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

Consecutive defeats on the ground, chaos at the board and regression in the rankings -- all have combined to create a perfect storm for Bangladesh cricket in the last few days, one that has left fans, and the players, grasping at straws to somehow keep their love for the game and the Bangladesh team from fading into oblivion.

Bangladesh’s T20I captain, Liton Das, said he wants all players to enjoy their cricket and not focus too much on the result in the two-match T20I series against hosts UAE, starting with the first game at Sharjah Cricket Stadium today.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury said that the board is unaware of Mustafizur Rahman’s call-up to the Indian Premier League. 

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will seek government clearance before finalising their upcoming tour of Pakistan, which includes five T20Is scheduled for later this month.

This episode of The Daily Star’s podcast Pitch Perfect takes a deep dive into the unfolding crisis and tries to shed light on the root causes of the dysfunction and explore what it would take to bring Bangladesh cricket back from the brink.