It’s a warm Monday morning, and there’s a big breaking news story that has received frenzied online coverage. Keir Starmer is about to announce his resignation from the post of UK Prime Minister, but my news feed is inundated with an arguably bigger scoop; Bangladesh are reportedly set to play a Test in England next year, their first Test on English soil for 17 years.

At first glance, this is the news that UK-based Tiger fans have been yearning for more than a decade. It appears that English cricket’s inexplicable reluctance to host Bangladesh is finally over. It’s time to share the mishti, or is it?

As ever, dig a little deeper into the reports by The Guardian and The Telegraph, and an alternative picture begins to emerge. Firstly, it’s only a one-off Test that is due to take place in late May 2027, and it’s been billed as an Ashes warm-up, rather than a contest in of itself. There’s no confirmation that the match will fall within the WTC or simply exist as a standalone fixture, with no WTC points at stake.

Neither scenario is particularly enticing; we know that the new WTC cycle, which begins in April next year, is likely to include one-off Tests which constitute a series. Bangladesh’s visit to England could be the first example of this unsatisfactory phenomenon. After 17 years, and the recent upturn in red-ball performances, the least that Bangladesh might have expected is a two-Test series.

The reason that can’t happen next year is that five Tests are already inked in against Australia, and the WTC final will also be taking place. Despite the elongated summer months, which are now the norm in the UK, seven Tests each summer is still the maximum.

Alternatively, if the match stands outside the WTC, there’s the possibility that it’s reduced to four days, similar to the one-off Test that England played against Zimbabwe last year.

Perhaps the most significant unknown is the match venue – the reports suggest that the game could be played at Lord’s, provided the WTC final is played at The Oval. An agreement exists between the MCC and the ECB for Lord’s to host two Tests every summer. The reason for potentially moving the WTC final from north London to south London is the poor Lord’s wicket that was recently produced, for England’s defeat of New Zealand.

The ICC are ultimately responsible for the decision, and maybe it depends on what Jay Shah wants. The choice is between being photographed with the WTC trophy in front of the famous Lord’s pavilion, after a week spent in well-heeled St John’s Wood, or enjoying the more rudimentary surroundings of Kennington.

Either way, the MCC are likely to be pulling out all the stops, and the condition of the pitch for the upcoming Test between England Women and India Women will be keenly observed.

If Lord’s does end up hosting the WTC final, the Bangladesh Test is likely to be played at one of the non-Ashes hosting venues. Headingley, Cardiff, or Chester-le-Street would all be in the running (Old Trafford appears to have ruled itself out of hosting any Tests next year).

Despite the British-Bangladesh community being spread throughout the UK, a Test in southern England is likely to be better supported, and there’s less risk of weather interruptions. A truncated Test beginning on a damp weekday in May, at a northern outpost, should be everyone’s worst-case scenario.

So yes, rejoice. The fact that Bangladesh will be visiting English shores is a reason to be cheerful. However, until concrete details emerge to the contrary, a sense of feeling shortchanged is palpable. Indeed, the reports do nothing to challenge the view that England have routinely perceived Bangladesh cricket as an inconvenience or an afterthought. Pertinently, Bangladesh are a replacement team, as the original opponents for a one-Test next year were Pakistan, but they pulled out.

Although they have an envied fanbase and a team that are quietly making progress, Bangladesh have been treated like Sri Lanka in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Back then, Sri Lanka would be regularly invited to play a one-off Test whenever a slot within the English summer had to be filled.

Despite winning the ODI World Cup in 1996, it wasn’t until after 1998 that the Sri Lankans were taken seriously, following a 10-wicket Test win at the Oval. Murali’s 16-wicket haul had shown up England’s attitude towards the island nation as folly. Perhaps a match-winning haul from Nahid Rana next summer might shift the dial, but until then, Bangladesh still remain firmly on the outside, looking in.

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