Stats paint grim picture as Bangladesh's white-ball woes continue

Bangladesh cricket's white-ball decline has gone from worrying to outright alarming, particularly in ODIs -- the format in which the Tigers once had the strongest footing. 

Tuesday's 99-run defeat in the series-deciding third ODI against hosts Sri Lanka in Kandy marked Bangladesh's third consecutive ODI series loss and their sixth bilateral series defeat out of seven since July 2023. 

As stats and performances continue to plummet, Bangladesh find themselves in unfamiliar territory -- outclassed not just by top-tier nations but by emerging sides on the global stage.

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I don’t think Bangladesh batters are mentally fit: Akram

In ODIs, the Tigers have managed just 10 wins out of 37 matches since July 2023 -- a dismal win percentage of 27%.

In that same period, lower-ranked teams teams like the USA (14 wins in 21 matches) and Scotland (13 in 23) have outperformed them, despite playing fewer games. Even Oman, not a full ICC member like the USA, matched Bangladesh's tally with 10 wins from just 21 matches.

T20Is offer little solace. Out of 38 games played over the last two years, Bangladesh lost 19 -- a 50% loss rate. Comparatively, associate nations have fared far better:

Uganda won 35 of their 43 matches, Bahrain 29 of 48, Kuwait 27 of 44, Japan 26 of 38, and Saudi Arabia 26 of 42.

It gets worse. Bangladesh have lost T20I series to both the USA and the UAE in the past year.

A common thread in this nosedive has been the failure in batting.

Former captain and current Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director Akram Khan didn't hold back when speaking to reporters in Mirpur on Wednesday.

"For the past two years, I've seen serious issues with our batting. We have to come out of this. Otherwise, you won't be able to perform, you'll be under pressure, and everything will turn negative.

"Watching the game from a distance, I feel like the players are under extra pressure. I don't know why they're under pressure. But if you're under too much pressure, you can't play normal cricket. Looking at their batting style, seeing some of the mistakes and their attitude, it doesn't look like they are playing normal cricket."