Bangladesh’s recent Test draw with Sri Lanka has sparked fresh debate, with critics questioning the team’s lost fighting spirit.
The match, held in Galle, ended in a draw that brought one point in the World Test Championship. But for many fans and former athletes, that point came at too high a cost.
They argue the team had a clear opportunity to push for victory. Instead, it chose to play cautiously, sacrificing momentum and intent.
In one widely shared commentary by Debbrata on his youtube channel, a former athlete compared the performance to a lack of sporting honor. “They didn’t even try,” he said, pointing to the fifth-day scenario when Bangladesh had the upper hand with a 200-plus lead and seven wickets in hand.
Critics pointed not just to tactics, but also to the body language and shot choices of players like Shanto and Mushfiqur. On the final day, Bangladesh managed just 2.2 runs per over in the first 10 overs — too slow for a side chasing victory.
“What was the plan? Play out time? For what? A single point?” said a former player during a TV appearance. “This is not just poor strategy. It’s a betrayal of the fans who stay up all night to watch their team fight.”
The argument wasn’t about losing. It was about not trying to win.
Some critics brought up past examples of sporting grit. They mentioned Olympic athletes from underdog nations who pushed through adversity, even when finishing last, simply to complete the race.
In a story now circulating among cricket fans, national swimmer Jewel Rana was once the last to finish a marathon swim in Barcelona. Nearly unconscious by the end, he refused help and reached the finish line on his own. When he arrived, the world’s top swimmers stood and clapped. That, many argue, is what sport is supposed to be.
The comparison with Bangladesh’s Test approach stings. Critics say it reflects a shift away from that spirit.
Critics also pointed to the 2024 T20 World Cup qualifier against Afghanistan, where slow batting cost Bangladesh a shot at the semis. Questions raised back then are resurfacing now.
This time, there is no obvious scapegoat. The coach is gone. The weather was favorable. The team had control.
“The mindset is the problem,” one analyst wrote. “You cannot win if you’re only thinking about not losing.”
Captain Shanto is expected to face questions, though he scored twin centuries in a Test for the second time. In a likely response, he may emphasize the importance of a single point in the Test Championship and say the team didn’t want to risk losing three.
That answer, some say, will not satisfy fans. For a team not in contention for the final, playing for one point appears more about fear than ambition.
“If we had gone for the win and failed, the cricket world would have stood with us,” said one fan on social media. “Now they’re laughing at us.”
The criticism isn’t limited to fans. International viewers and commentators have also weighed in. Some called the approach “cowardly.” Others labeled it “dishonest to the spirit of sport.”
There’s growing frustration that the current team, despite its talent, is choosing safety over bravery. That, critics argue, makes the sport harder to love.
They point out that previous Bangladesh teams—less skilled, more limited—still played with heart. They tried. And that alone earned them respect.
“It’s not about Shanto or Mushfiq,” said Debbrata. “It’s about what we stand for as a team.”
As pressure mounts, questions remain. Will the team respond in future matches with a clearer will to win? Or is this the new identity of Bangladesh cricket—calculated, cautious, and afraid to lose?
The fans may have drawn their own conclusions already. And they’re not kind.
