Bangladesh target WTC Final spot after Australia draw and Pakistan sweep

Bangladesh are targeting a maiden appearance in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final after a strong run of results left them firmly in contention for a top-two finish.

Chief selector Habibul Bashar believes Bangladesh have made significant strides in Test cricket and can now set their sights on reaching the 2027 WTC Final at The Oval.

Bangladesh currently sit fourth in the WTC standings after drawing their two-Test series in Australia 1-1. They have six matches remaining in the current cycle, starting with a two-Test home series against the West Indies later this year.

“We are now in a very good position in the World Test Championship,” Bashar said.

“We have five very important Tests coming up, so let’s see what happens.”

Bangladesh’s recent results have strengthened their belief that they can compete consistently in the longest format. They swept Pakistan 2-0 earlier this year before securing an upset victory in the first Test against Australia and eventually returning from the two-match series with a 1-1 draw.

For Bashar, those performances are part of a broader improvement rather than an isolated run of form.

“It’s not just the Australia Tests. If you look at our previous Test matches against Pakistan, or the Tests before that, we have been winning Tests regularly,” he said.

“If you look at the statistics since 2000 and compare them with those of the last two years, you have to say that Bangladesh Test cricket has come a long way.”

Bangladesh eye WTC Final breakthrough

Bashar was nevertheless cautious about declaring Bangladesh an established Test powerhouse, insisting there is still considerable room for improvement.

“I don’t think I can say right now that, as a Test team, we have become a very good side. I think we still have a long way to go. But we have managed to make a statement of our own,” he said.

The series in Australia nevertheless represented another important step forward. Bangladesh had wanted to return home having earned greater respect from the hosts, and Bashar believes they accomplished that after securing a 1-1 draw.

“But what Bangladesh are taking back from Australia is something we spoke about before coming here: when we return home, we want to take back a certain level of respect. I think we are able to return home with that respect,” Bashar said.

The West Indies series will provide Bangladesh with a crucial opportunity to strengthen their WTC position on home soil. With six Tests still to play in the cycle, the team remain within striking distance of a historic first appearance in the WTC Final at The Oval.