The West Indies have maintained a perfectly chequered ODI record since their failure to advance from the 2023 World Cup qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe. Nine bilateral series contested, four won, four lost, and one drawn.
With 17 months remaining in the qualification cycle for the 2027 edition of the World Cup, the Caribbean side occupies the last automatic spot to the 14-team showpiece, sitting in ninth position in the standings. Bangladesh, their next opponents, are a place below them in tenth.
Predictably enough, the focus ahead of Saturday’s start to the three-match series has been on how fast the visitors can adapt to conditions at the Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. According to coach Daren Sammy, his team has a head start in that department. Owing to their just-concluded Test series in India, which he describes as the “closest conditions you'll get” to those in Bangladesh.