Mahmudullah found some form after a string of poor performances saw his exclusion from the second Test against Sri Lanka. -AFP
The upcoming three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka will surely be the best chance for Bangladesh to confirm their auto qualification to the next ICC World Cup 2019 by sealing the series.
As per the rules of the International Cricket Council (ICC), the hosts England and seven other top teams in the ODI ranking list will directly qualify for the next World Cup, while the four other teams will get a chance to set their seats in the world cricket extravaganza by playing the 10-team qualifying tournament in 2018.
Bangladesh is now in the 7th slot with 91 rating points, seven points behind sixth-ranked Sri Lanka (98), and it will have to hold the position till September 30, 2017 to auto qualify in the World Cup. Or else, the Tigers must utilise the second chance for Word Cup berth, playing in the qualifying tournament in 2018.
West Indies and Pakistan will be keeping a close eye on the ODI series in Sri Lanka as both are also in the danger zone.Pakistan is in the eighth position with 89 points, just two points behind the Tigers, while the West Indies is in the ninth slot on 84 points. The two teams will face each other in a three-match ODI series from April 7-11.
If Bangladesh, which will aim to carry its P.Sara Stadium momentum into the ODI series, it will join Sri Lanka on 96 points and be ranked in sixth place when the points are calculated beyond the decimal point.
If the result reverses, Bangladesh will slip into the ninth slot behind Pakistan losing three valuable points. The two day-night ODIs of the series will be held at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla on March 25 and 28 while the 3rd match will be played at Sinhalese Sports Club ground in Colombo on April 1.
Bangladesh's track record in ODIs against Sri Lanka is better than in other formats of cricket, having four wins and one with no result in 38 outings. Since March 1986 to December 2016, Bangladesh so far played 321 ODIs while Sri Lanka played out 732 matches during this period.
-UNB, Dhaka
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