The Mirpur pitch for the first ODI of the Bangladesh-West Indies series was the topic of much discussion – here's the likely reason why Bangladesh prepared it to turn.
Why is the Mirpur pitch for Bangladesh-West Indies attracting attention?
The colour of the wicket in Mirpur raised eyebrows; the extremely dark colour, combined with a near-lack of grass on the surface was intriguing for those tuning into the fixture. However, this was not totally unexpected.
A day ahead of the match, West Indies head coach Darren Sammy was asked about the pitch, to which he replied, "The captain [Shai Hope] has not seen the wicket, but I have. I'm not sure if we could replicate it ... we've never seen anything like that before."
His counterpart Phil Simmons, however, said, "It looks like a normal Mirpur wicket so it usually has some sort of turn in it, which is good."
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At the pitch report ahead of the start of the game, broadcaster and former Sri Lanka international Farvez Maharoof said, "Two years ago, the last ODI was played here, and we are back to a very different-looking surface now.
"I've covered a lot of games here, and for the first time, I have not seen a blade of grass. The soil is slightly moving even before the first ball is bowled, suggesting this will be on the slower side.
"It's a slow surface, and spinners will certainly come into play. Batters will struggle, especially in the middle overs."
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As the match progressed, Maharoof's words were proved correct. Put in to bat, Bangladesh only managed to get to 100 in the 30th over. A broadcast graphic during the middle overs highlighted the extreme spin West Indies slow bowlers Gudakesh Motie, Roston Chase and Khary Pierre were able to extract from the wicket, averaging in excess of 4-4.5 degrees of turn. Justin Greaves' cutters and medium pace bowling also proved difficult to get away for Bangladesh, who finished with 207.
1st ODI, Bangladesh vs West Indies
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- Ball by ball Over
The reason for preparing such a surface might have had to do with qualification for the 2027 World Cup.
Why is World Cup qualification a concern for Bangladesh?
Apart from South Africa and Zimbabwe, hosts of the tournament, the top eight teams in the ICC world rankings as on March 31, 2027 will receive automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup. Since Zimbabwe are ranked outside the top eight, that means the top nine teams in the world will qualify.
West Indies currently sit ninth in the men's ODI rankings, the last automatic qualification spot. Bangladesh are one place below in tenth. The ongoing ODI series, therefore, presents a chance for them to make significant ground in the race for qualification while simultaneously ensuring their closest competitors take a hit.
Read more: ICC men's ODI team rankings: Which sides could miss automatic qualification for 2027 World Cup?
Making slow, turning wickets could nullify the superior power of West Indies' batting lineup, while also allowing Bangladesh's spinners to thrive, giving them the best chance to succeed. As per the ICC's rankings predictor, a 3-0 win in this series is the only result that would push Bangladesh above West Indies in the ODI table.
Image credit: FanCode
