Bangladesh cricket is going through big changes. The players who led the team for the last 15 years are retiring one by one. Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah Riyad, and Mushfiqur Rahim all said they will retire in 2025. Right now, Mushfiqur is only playing Test matches. People are also wondering if Shakib Al Hasan will still have a place in the new-look Bangladesh team.
The changes have also hurt Bangladesh cricket’s performance. Bangladesh has dropped to tenth place in the ODI rankings after a series of poor results. In the latest ICC rankings, the Tigers lost four rating points and fell below West Indies, creating more worry.
Now, there’s a question about whether Bangladesh will qualify directly for the 2027 ODI World Cup. According to Wisden magazine, only the top eight teams in the ODI rankings by March 31, 2027, will secure a spot in the World Cup in Africa (apart from South Africa and Zimbabwe). If South Africa is in the top eight, the ninth team will also qualify directly.
Bangladesh is currently ranked 10th in the latest rankings. The number of ODIs is also decreasing over time. With the T20 World Cup in 2026 approaching, Bangladesh might not play many ODIs for a while. In the series against Pakistan, they have decided to skip ODIs and play only T20 matches. This could be a trend in the future, given the current situation.
According to the ICC FTP, Phil Simmons’ team has 29 ODIs to play until March 2027. Of these, 8 will be against Ireland and Zimbabwe. The other 21 matches will be against tougher teams like Pakistan, Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and the West Indies. Given the strength of these teams, the series won’t be easy for Bangladesh.
Bangladesh, currently struggling, faces a big challenge. If they don’t perform well in these series, they may have to compete in the World Cup qualifiers.
The 2027 World Cup will take place in Africa, with South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe as the host countries. Fourteen teams will compete in this global event.
