Bangladesh's first official foray into international cricket came in the 1979 ICC Trophy in England, leaving the tournament with 2 wins and 2 defeats. Seven years later, on 31 March 1986, Bangladesh played in its first One Day International match against Pakistan in the 1986 Asia Cup. Cricket has gradually become very popular in urban areas of the country. Although football was the most popular game for a long time, cricket gained a momentum and soon surpassed football, especially after Bangladesh won the ICC Trophy in Malaysia in 1997. By winning the ICC trophy, the Tigers had qualified for the 1999 Cricket World Cup for the first time, where they upset Pakistan, although they did not pass the group phase. In 1997, Bangladesh became a regular ICC member with the right to play one-day internationals. It attained the status of a Test playing country on 26 June 2000.
As of March 2010, Bangladesh have played in 66 Tests, winning only 3. Their first victory was against Zimbabwe and the other two against a West Indian team crippled by the exodus of its senior players. They have lost 57 of their matches, and 33 of these by an innings.Bangladesh's performance has led to repeated calls for them to lose their Test status.
