Published: 10:18 AM, 25 July 2026
Bangladesh eye historic opportunity in WTC race
BCB to hold short training camp ahead of Australia tour
Bangladesh's players walk back to the pavilion after winning the second Test match against Pakistan at the SylhetInternational Cricket Stadium in Sylhet on May 20, 2026 .-AFP
Bangladesh have emerged as strong contenders in the race for a place in the 2027 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final after completing a 2-0 Test series sweep over Pakistan on home soil in May.
Although Bangladesh later lost the one-off Test against Zimbabwe, the match was not part of the WTC cycle and therefore had no impact on the standings.
The Bangladesh currently sit at fourth place in the WTC table with a points percentage (PCT) of 58.33, keeping themselves firmly in contention for a maiden appearance in the championship final.
Australia lead the standings with a PCT of 87.50, while defending champions South Africa are second on 75.00. New Zealand are third with 72.22.
Two-time finalists India are fifth with a PCT of 48.15, followed by Sri Lanka (41.67), England (24.36), the West Indies (15.00) and Pakistan (8.33). With several bilateral Test series still remaining in the current cycle, the race for the two places in the 2027 WTC Final remains wide open.
Bangladesh's next assignment is a two-match away Test series against Australia. Encouraged by the steady progress of their pace attack over the past three years, they will hope to register their first-ever Test victory on Australian soil.
A positive result in Australia would significantly strengthen Bangladesh's position in the WTC standings and boost their hopes of reaching the final for the first time.
Meanwhile, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that The Oval in London will host the 2027 ICC World Test Championship Final from June 9 to 13, 2027.
The decision follows the ICC's announcement last year awarding England the hosting rights for the next three WTC Finals in 2027, 2029 and 2031. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) subsequently selected The Oval as the venue for the 2027 showpiece.
The Oval previously hosted the 2023 WTC Final, where Australia defeated India to lift their maiden World Test Championship title.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will hold a short training camp ahead of the national team's two-match Test series against Australia next month.
The Bangladesh team had recently returned home after a lengthy tour of Zimbabwe, where they played across all three formats. Bangladesh lost the one-off Test and the three-match ODI series before salvaging the tour by winning the three-match T20 International series.
Australia have already announced a full-strength squad, led by Pat Cummins, indicating they are taking Bangladesh seriously despite playing on home soil.
Bangladesh are yet to name their squad, with the selectors awaiting fitness updates on several players.
Litton travelled to Singapore for a scan on a calf injury that has troubled him since June, while Rana underwent scans on Wednesday after sustaining a side strain during the second T20 International against Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, the board has retained TalhaZubair as the national team's interim pace bowling coach while it continues its search for a permanent replacement for Shaun Tait.
Talha oversaw the pace bowling unit during the Zimbabwe tour, with Bangladesh's fast bowlers producing encouraging performances despite the team's mixed results.
Bangladesh will open the two-match Test series against Australia in Darwin on August 13 before the second and final Test begins in Mackay on August 22.
