Bangladesh are gearing up to host South Africa for a two-match Test series as part of the ICC World Test Championship. Scheduled to take place in Dhaka and Chattogram, the series is expected to proceed despite concerns over political instability in the country. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) remains optimistic about the matches commencing on time, with no security threats currently affecting the tour.

South Africa’s tour likely to proceed as planned

A Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) official confirmed on September 13 that the Test series against South Africa is on track to be held in October. The matches will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka and the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram. While there were concerns over the political situation, no travel advisory has been issued against visiting Bangladesh, and South African authorities, including the South African Cricketers Association (SACA), are expected to finalize their decision soon.

According to a draft itinerary prepared by BCB, the South African team is scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh on October 16. The first Test will be held in Dhaka from October 21, followed by the second Test in Chattogram from October 29. The South African contingent will depart on November 3.

Political situation raises doubts, but series expected to go on

Although recent political turmoil in Bangladesh caused disruptions, such as the ICC Women's T20 World Cup being moved to the UAE and the rescheduling of New Zealand A's tour, the BCB is hopeful this series will proceed without any significant changes. BCB officials emphasized that no security concerns have been raised, and preparations for the series are in full swing. The board is expected to make an official announcement soon regarding the finalized schedule.

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With both Bangladesh and South Africa eager to compete in the ICC World Test Championship, this series will be a key event for both sides as they look to gain crucial points on the global stage.

The ‘Fabulous 4’ or the ‘Fab 4’ term started from the fantabulous performances coming from the willows of Virat Kohli (India), Steve Smith (Australia), Kane Williamson (New Zealand) and Joe Root (England) when they donned their white uniforms. Former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe coined this terminology and used the nickname ‘Fab 4’. Crowe predicted in one of his August 2014 columns for ESPNcricinfo that all four members of the ‘Fab 4’ comprising the above mentioned four, who would become future cricketing leaders of their respective nations.

And to no one’s surprise, his predictions did come true, and all four players have displayed their top-class calibre, not just with the bat but also with the captaincy hat. The former Kiwi skipper, Kane Williamson, is stepping down from the New Zealand central contract after a disastrous stint in the recent 2024 T20 World Cup. This news marks the end of the Fab-4 or an era of pure cricketing display with the bat and captaincy. Though all the players still have some game within them, some aspects like the test captaincy would be dearly missed by the fanatics. Here’s a simple and noteworthy summation of the ‘Fab-4’, making it an ode to providing some memorable cricketing displays.

Virat Kohli

Though Martin Crowe predicted the staggering growth of Fab-4 in mid-2014, the unboxing happened lately in the 2015-16 period. Virat Kohli has been one of the batting legends in the red-ball format, who helped the Indian cricket team to be fearless and resilient in the toughest away conditions. His sheer calibre, aggression and intent have helped the team set high benchmarks in test cricket.

To briefly update his red ball stats, he has captained over 68 matches by winning over a phenomenal 40 games, losing 17 matches and just one match being a draw. With his MRF willow, Kohli has scored 8848 runs in 191 innings, at a commendable ongoing average of 49.16. And a majority of the runs have come from the tough and challenging away matches, symbolising his gameplay. He has 30 fifties, 29 centuries and seven massive double-century innings in his red-ball stint. And with big upcoming matches, there is no stoppage for one of the best Indian test captains.

Steve Smith

Steve Smith’s cricketing journey is a testament to resilience and adaptability. He began as a leg-break bowler, a role he performed with skill, but fate had other plans for the Aussie player. Known for his unique stance, Smith has been the reliable backbone of the Australian Cricket team. His calm and intelligent demeanour on-field and unique playing style have been his unique selling point. His tenure as a red-ball captain was commendable, with 21 wins, 10 losses, and seven draws out of 38 matches.

During his peak in the 2015-17 period, he was known for having the best and most consistent batting average, which almost reached 70. However, the unfortunate 2018 ball-tampering scandal, which led to his suspension from international cricket, has hindered his captaincy stint. He is now focused on contributing with the bat to the fullest. His ongoing test stint has seen him amass 9685 runs in 195 innings, averaging 56.97. He has 41 half-centuries, 32 centuries, and four double-centuries.

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Kane Williamson

Though the Fab-4’s inception came from the batting performance point of view, the captaincy aspect acted as the cherry on top. One man who symbolised the enigma of being cool, calm and composed is the Kiwi batter, Kane Williamson. The former New Zealand skipper has been a part of many final stages of the ICC tournaments, with the 2019 CWC final and the 2021 T20 WC final, naming a few. But, the memorable moment of his illustrious and ongoing cricketing journey would be the big triumph against India in the first-ever World Test Championship title match, held in 2021. His 44 test match captaincy stint garnered him 22 wins, 10 losses and 12 draw results.

Williamson is one of the players from the Fab-4 list who has successfully maintained consistency across all the formats. But, with his recent disastrous performance in the 2024 T20 World Cup, he has stepped down from the New Zealand Cricket Central Contract, almost ending his illustrious captaincy stint. In terms of numbers in the test format, Williamson has played the lowest number of matches out of the rest, where in just 176 innings, Williamson made a colossal 8743 runs, with an average of 54.99. In addition, the former Blackcaps’ skipper has 34 half-centuries, 32 centuries and six double-centuries.

Joe Root

Joe Root has been a batter touted as having the potential to overtake the test records of the Master Blaster, Sachin Tendulkar. His classy stance and shot selection have been the pivotal aspects of his batting for the English side. Root has been a go-to man across the ODI & Test Formats. His decent attacking yet impactful batting has been the prime context to check out amongst the cricket fanatics. Having a kickstart to his peak from 2014, Root has been at its best in maintaining the same consistency.

Though the new BazBall format in England’s side only synchronises a little with Joe Root’s approach, he has unleashed his attacking side in crucial times and harnessed victories for the team. Coming to the stat numbers in the red-ball game, he has made a colossal 11940 runs in 260 innings, with an average of 49.96. By playing the most matches in this list, he has also made 62 half-centuries, 32 centuries and five double-centuries. Also, his decent test-match captaincy stint of 64 matches got him 27 wins, 26 losses and 11 draw results.