Bangladesh's Wet June Test a Symptom of Cricket Bureaucracy

Anybody who has been following the one-off Test between Bangladesh and India would have been frustrated by the rain at some point. Monsoon season has arrived in Bangladesh, and it’s had the presiding say over the cricket. June has always been the time when the rainy season starts in the country, so it seems almost illogical for a Test to be scheduled at this time of year.

There is a reason behind the timing of the series, though. The series was agreed upon last year when the “Big Three” pulled a heist on the way world cricket is run. Subsequently, the way tours are decided as per the Future Tours Programme changed quite drastically.

The schedule for 2014–2020 meant the boards of two teams looking to play a tour would have to sign a members' participation agreement (MPA). Both India and Bangladesh signed this agreement last year, and the time of the tour was agreed on the sidelines of last year’s ICC meeting, according to ESPNCricinfo’s Bangladesh correspondent Mohammed Islam.

Because Bangladesh was one of the last boards to agree to the “Big Three” position paper, there wasn’t much time to negotiate timing. The original FTP had India down for a visit in June-July, a foolish decision in the first place.

With South Africa scheduled for a visit in July, the schedule allowed for precious little manoeuvring. India’s own demanding schedule meant shifting the tour around simply wasn’t possible.

The problem is this. Bangladesh need the revenue teams like India bring through TV rights and such, so they could not say no to a tour, despite the fact never before had a Test been played in Bangladesh in June, July, August or September. When India toured Bangladesh last year, also through the rainy season, the result was similar with rain dominating much of play.

South Africa’s two Tests will be played in July and August, meaning Bangladesh would have made the wrong kind of history by the time that tour ends. It is hardly their fault, though. While Bangladesh is a much improved side in the limited overs format, they do not offer much of a challenge for bigger and stronger teams. Touring the country is, for many teams, an unappealing prospect.

It once again highlights that cricket needs a rethink about how its schedule is decided. Cutting out cricket in Bangladesh in the rainy months poses a tricky prospect since most countries have their season running from August to February, the same time as when it’s usually clear in Bangladesh. “Bigger” cricketing nations aren’t going to give up their traditional Boxing Day and New Year’s Tests in exchange for a trip to Bangladesh in this period.

Scheduling remains one of the toughest tasks in world cricket. The new world order that was ratified last year has made that even more difficult, and it means countries can focus on a largely self-serving outcome without too much consequence.

But in order for Bangladesh to get better, they have to keep playing. One possible solution is to allow for blossoming nations like Ireland, Afghanistan and other countries to play Tests against Bangladesh, possibly at neutral venues. The ICC certainly earns enough revenue to drip down some funds to make this a possibility.

But this will never happen; since the Big Three took over, cricket has become even more elitist than it was before, and Bangladesh are one of its wounded victims.