Bangladesh v Zimbabwe, 2015-16

	Bangladesh complete a 3-0 white wash of Zimbabwe in the ODI series © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Series/Tournaments: Zimbabwe tour of Bangladesh Teams: Bangladesh | Zimbabwe

One-day internationals (3): Bangladesh 3, Zimbabwe 0
Twenty20 internationals (2): Bangladesh 1, Zimbabwe 1

The cancellation by Australia of their two-Test series because of security fears had created a window in Bangladesh's calendar. It needed to be filled, for commercial as much as philanthropic reasons, in a nation whose passionate supporters had finally begun to see their team beating the world's top sides. One-day victories over Pakistan, India and South Africa had led to a belief that, 15 years after Test admission, Bangladesh's cricketers were finally doing their country justice. The Australian tour was going to be a test of their worth.

The disappointment was palpable when security reports suggested the visit would be unsafe, although just weeks later the Australian football team visited Dhaka for a World Cup qualifier. And confusion was followed by anger. The gap was filled by the ever-eager Zimbabweans, who had also been willing to tour Pakistan five months earlier, despite security advice to the contrary. Safety was just about the last concern for a team who had grown almost as familiar with Dhaka as they had with Harare or Bulawayo.

Bangladesh grabbed the opportunity to confirm they had moved on, and left the sides' recent rivalry behind. For their part, Zimbabwe had a chance to show that their busiest international home season had improved their game. They soon found the answer: as always, the Zimbabweans played fine shots, bowled good balls and held excellent catches. But they could also slog wildly, deliver a pie every over, and drop dollies. Most worrying was their naivety in match situations that most club teams would recognise and understand better. Thanks to Malcolm Waller, they did at least round off the tour with a win, which squared the Twenty20 series after a 50-over whitewash.

Bangladesh looked clinical and complete. The fact that their unprecedented run of five series wins were all at home was not their fault: rather it was an indictment of the embarrassment which passes for an international schedule. The major nations say Bangladesh tours lose money, so they don't invite them. That may have been the case in the past, but the current team, more than any other, deserve a chance to prove their worth overseas.

Match reports for

Tour Match: Bangladesh Cricket Board XI v Zimbabweans at Fatullah, Nov 5, 2015
Report | Scorecard

1st ODI: Bangladesh v Zimbabwe at Mirpur, Nov 7, 2015
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2nd ODI: Bangladesh v Zimbabwe at Mirpur, Nov 9, 2015
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3rd ODI: Bangladesh v Zimbabwe at Mirpur, Nov 11, 2015
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1st T20I: Bangladesh v Zimbabwe at Mirpur, Nov 13, 2015
Report | Scorecard

2nd T20I: Bangladesh v Zimbabwe at Mirpur, Nov 15, 2015
Report | Scorecard