Bangladesh to play 12 matches in new WTC cycle

Dhaka, 15 June- Bangladesh will have a busy time in the new World 
Test Championship (WTC) cycle, which will run from 2025-2027.

The last cycle, what was the third cycle of the WTC, ended yesterday with 
South Africa emerging as champions by removing their tag of 'Chokers'.

However, Bangladesh finished as seventh in the last cycle, after winning four 
matches out of 12.

Like the previous cycle, Bangladesh will play 12 matches in this ongoing 
cycle too, which they will kick start with a two-match Test series against 
Sri Lanka on Tuesday. In fact the fourth cycle of WTC will begin with the 
Bangladesh-Sri Lanka Test series.

Out of the 12 matches, Bangladesh will play six matches at home and six at 
away. At home, they will face off Pakistan, West Indies and England while 
they will visit Sri Lanka, South Africa and Australia in this cycle. And all 
of the series will be a two-match series.

The last cycle was the most productive for Bangladesh, considering the number 
of the victories they achieved. In the inaugural Test cycle, which ran from 
2019-2021, Bangladesh played seven matches but failed to register any 
victory.

In the second cycle (2021-2023), Bangladesh secured just one victory in 12 
matches.

They will now kick off the cycle in a country, where they have good memories 
of winning their 100th Test. However, the first Test against Sri Lanka will 
start from June 17 at Galle while Colombo will host the second and final 
game, beginning from June 25.
 
Although Bangladesh have completed almost 25 years in this elite version of 
cricket, its record is not good. But since the World Test Championship 
introduced, Bangladesh's performance have gradually improved.

Bangladesh have played 31 Tests in the three cycles-they won five, drawn two 
and lost 24.

Like the previous three WTC cycles, nine teams are participating this time 
too. Each team will play six series - three at home and three at their 
opponents' ground. There has been no change in the points system (12 points 
for a win, four for a draw, six points for a tie).

However, this time the number of matches has increased by one compared to the 
last two times. Including the final, there will be a total of 71 matches, and 
27 series. Each series will have a minimum of two and a maximum of five 
matches.

The final of the fourth cycle has also been proposed to be held at Lord's in 
June 2027.
 
In this cycle, Australia will play the most matches with 22, followed by 
England with the second most matches with 21. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will 
play the fewest matches with 12, with their series starting this cycle. This 
is the only Test series for the Bangladesh team in 2025. The remaining five 
series of Bangladesh are in 2026 and 2027.
 
Bangladesh will play the second series of this cycle in March 2026, when they 
host Pakistan. Then the country will then travel to Australia in August of 
that year and that will be their first Test series on Australian soil after 
2003.

In this cycle, Bangladesh will play its second series at home in October 2026 
when they take on West Indies. They will tour South Africa in November 
immediately after playing against the West Indies. Bangladesh's last series 
will be on home soil when they face off England in February 2027.

This will be their first Test series against the English after 2016.

One particular stat, however, will boost Bangladesh psychologically. They are 
unbeaten in their last series against four of the six teams they will play in 
the 2025-27 cycle. They drew series against Australia, England and the West 
Indies and thrashed Pakistan (winning the two-match series 2-0). They lost 
the series to Sri Lanka and the defending champions South Africa.BSS