The Bangladesh national cricket team returned home quietly on Sunday after completing their tour of Europe where they played six Twenty20 Internationals against Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands.
The tour, organised by the Bangladesh Cricket Board as part of the Tigers’ preparations for the ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, had a mixed experience for the Tigers as they whitewashed Ireland 3-0 in their own backyard only to be shocked by Scotland and the Netherlands in Netherlands.
The result against the Irish enabled the Tigers to move into the ICC Twenty20 rankings and that too in fourth place, but the defeat against Scotland in their one-off match against them brought them down to ninth place.
If the defeat to Scotland was not enough, the Tigers were embarrassed further after hosts Netherlands beat them in their tour ender to level the two-match T20 series 1-1.
The defeats at the hands of the ICC associate members had a deep impact on the team as players refused to come in front of the TV camera, breaking the usual norm of speaking on the outcome of any series whenever they return home.
All the TV channels felt so much insulted that they refrained from telecasting any news of their return to the country.
The team are expected to begin their preparation camp from August 10 for the tour of Trinidad and Tobago, where the national team, in the name of Board XI, will play a tournament organised by the hosts as part of their celebration for 50 years of independence.
Head coach Richard Pybus and fielding coach Jason Swift did not return with the team as they are away on vacation, but they are expected to return by August 9, while bowling coach Shane Jurgenson is currently with the Under-19 team in Australia.
-With New Age input
