Yet another clean-sweep for Bangladesh, but what is the plan for 2016?

The Bangladesh cricket team pose with the series trophy

Zimbabwe started the tour with a bang by mauling the BCB XI by seven wickets and conveyed the message to everyone that they are not just here to fulfill the formalities, but their intention was to win and end Bangladesh’s purple-patch throughout the year.

Then there was the Whatmore-factor which loomed large in the minds of the fans and critics as because Dav Whatmore is very well aware of the Bangladesh cricket team’s strengths and weaknesses and his presence might benefit Zimbabwe to dent Bangladesh’s.

But as soon as the one-day series started, it was a different story altogether. The visiting team discovered how tough is it to beat the Tigers at present and no matter who the opposition is, they don’t take them lightly at all and the current Bangladesh team is very swift in coming back to the track.

The defeat against the Zimbabweans helped Bangladesh to brush away their lack-of-focus from cricket and regain their mojo which in turn, crushed Zimbabwe to script Bangladesh’s eleventh whitewash in one-day internationals.

Overall, the three-match one-day series was a damp squib. The visitors hardly could pose a threat against the Tigers. It was a productive series for the Tigers and Bangladesh as because, firstly, Bangladesh have been able to convey the message to Cricket Australia and the world that, this country is safe to play cricket.

Secondly, the Tigers were able to rediscover the lost Imrul Kayes in the limited-overs format after a brief period. Thirdly, the comeback of Al-Amin Hossain has been a breath of fresh air for the fans and critics. After that incident during the ICC World Cup down under, Al-Amin was almost lost from Bangladesh cricket fraternity.

But thankfully, he fought back and stormed into the national squad with flying colours. Lastly, the eight-man slip cordon in the third one-day international was one of the most memorable moments of the series. It was an indication of a changing of the mentality of Bangladesh cricket who are brave and aggressive.

The year 2015 has been fantastic for the Tigers. They have not lost a one-day series this year and their brilliant performance in the ICC World Cup took them to a new height. Coach Chandika Hathurusingha has built a team in which one can have faith and can invest trust in the upcoming days.

Again, one must not forget how instrumental Nazmul Hassan Papon has been in uplifting this team and Mashrafe Mortaza’s commanding leadership which instilled unity within the team.

But the most alarming thing is, Bangladesh will play their next one-day international match almost one year later and in fact, other than some Twenty20 matches, the Tigers don’t have any notable international fixtures in 2016.

England will visit Bangladesh to play a full series in October-November while Zimbabwe are supposed to visit again in January to play a two-match Test series and there is supposed to be a one-off Test match against India in India in August, but still nothing is sure about that series.

Bangladesh can be regarded as one of the most exciting and competitive sides in one-day cricket at the moment and they are the choice of the new generation. People will pay money to watch the aggressive display of the Tigers and players like Soumya Sarkar, Mustafizur Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal and Mashrafe Mortaza are the household names.

In that sense, if this team stays away from playing the 50-over format, then it will be a loss of world cricket. Playing against the Tigers are not a forgone conclusion at present, but they offer a riveting contest. Moreover, such a long gap is sure to hamper the rhythm of the team and this newly gained momentum should not be disturbed at any cost.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) must act effectively to maintain this wonderful momentum. After the World Twenty20 in India next year, teams like New Zealand and West Indies will be almost free and the BCB should approach them for a short series or tri-nation tournament.

And even if that is not possible, then, a multi-national tournament with Zimbabwe and Associate Nations will not be a bad idea at all.

BCB are not in a bad situation financially and arranging a series will not be a tough task for them, but what they do need to apply is a sound and effective diplomatic plan. The BCB boss, Nazmul Hassan is a highly efficient person in applying such.