Bangladesh - more disappointments than glories

Bangladesh had a year of two halves, where they swayed from mediocre to eventually finding their mojo. In an era where teams are continuously striving for away wins, a home series loss is a sin. Bangladesh started the year with three series losses at home in the first two months itself.

Sri Lanka, a fading force by a lot of means, handed Bangladesh a defeat in the ODI tri-series, going on to seal the two-Test series 1-0 and then whitewashed the hosts in the two-match T20I series. It was a forgettable start. Their on-field performance in the Nidahas Trophy gave the fans hopes of changing fortunes, but their off-field behaviour took away all the focus.

The on-field clashes with the Sri Lankan side in a tense chase, Shakib Al Hasan threatening to walk his team out after a poor decision, and shattered glass door of the R.Premadasa Stadium dressing room was reflective of the frustration the team had been going through. A close loss to India - where they lost the title thanks to a last-ball six from Dinesh Karthik - didn't help either. Afghanistan blanked Bangladesh with ease in Dehradun and handed them a whitewash in the three-match T20I series only to compound their woes. If things weren't bad, then came the Test series in the Caribbean. In the first innings of the first Test, they were shot down for just 43 - the tenth-lowest score in the history of the game. The series was lost and the lowest of the low had been hit.

The revival, however, started in the Caribbean itself. The humbling defeat in the Test series was avenged by an ODI series and a T20I series win. In the Asia Cup, Bangladesh impressed, and performed, except against India. The final saw the rise of Liton Das - a man who is expected to take the burden off their star Mushfirqur Rahim. But the last-ball loss, again to India in the final, brought out a glaring issue. An issue they'll hope to address ahead of the World Cup next year. The fact that they struggle to cross the final hurdle in crucial matches is something that needs immediate fixing with not much cricket left ahead of the mega tournament.

Bangladesh's handling of Shakib's finger injury, where the captain made quite a few dramatic statements, didn't paint a pretty picture either. Nazmul Hasan, the BCB president, made quite a few contrasting claims as well and it only reflected on poor management. And while Bangladesh continued to impress, their performances were punctuated by sinister defeats. The Test loss against Zimbabwe at home was one such defeat. They managed to draw the series in the end, but will be disappointed that they allowed the visitors to end the tour on a high.

Imrul Kayes and Soumya Sarkar made runs against Zimbabwe to add to the headache of the team management. A problem the team management will be happy to face. However, the fact that they are still to figure out their top three batsmen is a worrying sign as well. Tamim Iqbal is the pillar at the top, but the inability of Mashrafe Mortaza, and the think tank, to figure out his partner in limited-overs cricket only leaves the players sweating over their chances. A damning situation that could well prove catastrophic.

Bangladesh won the Test and ODI series against Windies at home but lost the T20I series in dramatic fashion. The loss has left a lot to be desired of the squad but they'll be pleased with the way they picked up the ruins after a terrible start.

What went right:

The ODI series win against Windies changed the way the side played in the second-half of the year. And while the win was much-needed, it came on the back of the established players putting their hands up and stringing significant performances. Tamim, Shakib, Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah, all chipped in with performances that propped up the young wards as well. They won 13 off the 20 ODIs and the progress only shows they are on track to perform in the World Cup.

What went wrong:

The inconsistency of the Test squad. They won three, but the four losses - out of eight - will haunt them. Two of them came in tough conditions in the Caribbean but the home losses raised quite a few uncomfortable questions.

Top performer:

Mehidy Hasan Miraz made crucial contributions with the bat at times, but his bowling stood out. He was Bangladesh's second-highest wicket-taker in Tests and while he managed just 18 wickets from 15 games in ODIs, his economy of 3.99 benefited the other bowlers and the team. His soon established himself as the crucial link between the middle order and the lower order. His batting - while there's plenty of room of improvement -gives the team an exciting prospect and his bowling gives them the much-needed edge.

Biggest disappointment:

Sabbir Rahman played just one Test in 2018; his scores - 0 and 1. Only 69 runs came from him in the eight ODIs he played and in the shortest format, he made 161 from eight games at a poor average of 20.12. On-field performances and the numbers aside, he was handed a six-month ban by the BCB's disciplinary committee for threatening a fan on a social network website. It was a troubled year for the batsman with the runs drying up but his behaviour raised far more serious concerns for all involved.

What 2019 has in store:

The expected - the fans will hope for an Asia Cup like performance in the 2019 World Cup. The series in New Zealand and Ireland give them a chance to polish off the rough edges and fix all the possible glitches. The year could also see Mortaza hanging his boots after the tournament in England. There's also a big-ticket away series in India where they play two Tests and three ODIs. But, for the first half of the year, the focus will be firmly on the World Cup and giving Mortaza a perfect farewell.