[Sohel]

We have deeply embedded mitigating factors such as:

1) Farcical FC infrastructure where playing picnic cricket is tolerated and neglected in favor of the DPL and now BPL (if there's a BPL 2, they gotta pay first and then spend even more in service recovery and damage control).

2) Pretty much clueless DPL and BPL "organizers" hogging the board who believe it is their GOD given right to decisively interfere in cricketing decisions.

3) Selectors, all mediocre cricketers -- guys who can't hold a candle to the new generation in terms of talent, character, skill, or technique -- selecting players on the basis of lobbying and nepotism rather than ability and statistics tempered by actual context, and leaving perpetual, gaping holes in the team. That's why our team has never been full strength, and unless we change the culture of selecting dead weight for the team, will not be in 5 years.

I projected my rankings in light of all this. Being number 5 in ODIs is doable because we play a lot of 50 over games. I feel we'd be able to beat New Zealand, West Indies and Zimbabwe pretty regularly, and run India and Pakistan through the ringer every time. Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and England would be tough but we'll take at least 1 game in a best of 5 against them.

Being number 7 in tests is also plausible because our guys with ability are developing good temperament. I think we'll beat West Indies and Zimbabwe regularly and run New Zealand through the ringer every time.

Being number 7 in T20Is is my most optimistic prediction because we're clueless in this tricky format with its own unique challenges. If we do improve, we'll do so because of a professionally run BPL and Bangladeshi players actually playing in the IPL and elsewhere.