England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Richard Thompson has pointed to Bangladesh's Test victory over Australia in Darwin as evidence of the side's genuine potential, insisting there is no question of England backing out of their upcoming tour despite the significant cost involved.
"We got to tour to Bangladesh. That's going to cost us a lot of money. But we have to do that. Bangladesh just beating Australia proves that they have got great potential," Thompson told Sky Sports.
He also pointed to England's unique standing as the birthplace of the format, arguing that whatever the ECB does draws outsized global attention, a responsibility he believes obliges the board to keep engaging regularly with Test playing nations such as Bangladesh.
We got to tour to Bangladesh. That's going to cost us a lot of money. But we have to do that. Bangladesh just beating Australia proves that they have got great potential.Richard Thompson, England and Wales Cricket Board chairman
"England has a very unique position of leadership in the world game. Whatever we do gets more attention globally, and probably India, particularly in the Test arena, because of the origins of the game," he said.
England's tour of Bangladesh next February will form part of a two Test series under the World Test Championship, marking only the fifth time the sides have met on Bangladeshi soil since England's last visit in 2016.
The reverse fixture arrives soon after, with Bangladesh set to play a Test at Lord's in May 2027 as part of England's Ashes preparations, their first appearance in England since June 2010 and only their fifth Test on English soil overall.