THE Bangladesh cricket team might not boast of a good record from their previous visits to Zimbabwe, but their captain Mushfiqur Rahim believes his charges are ready for the challenge.
REPORT BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
Bangladesh, who play two Tests, three one-day internationals (ODIs) and two Twenty20s (T20s) against Zimbabwe in a month-long tour which starts on April 17, will be hoping to get some revenge after they lost the lone Test match and the ODI series against the hosts in 2011.
Rahim, who became the first Bangladesh batsman to score a double century in Tests during their just ended tour of Sri Lanka, believes his charges are better prepared this time around.
“We are ready to take up the challenge. We don’t have a good record in Harare where we lost the Test match in 2011. It is our duty to change the record by taking forward the consistency that we have found in Sri Lanka.
“How far we have improved as a team can be determined in Zimbabwe,” Mushfiqur said after the Bangladesh team’s return after their tour of Sri Lanka.
According to reports from the subcontinent country, the Bangladesh cricket team were given a warm welcome on their return to Dhaka on Tuesday — a reaction to the drawn Test in Galle and the 1-1 draw in the ODI series.
The Tigers, as the Bangladesh team is affectionately known by their fans, were expected to take a short break before starting preparations for the forthcoming tour.
Bangladesh selectors are expected to make some changes to the team’s bowling department when the squad is announced before the end of the week.
Bangladesh Cricket Board chief selector Akram Khan told the Daily Star that a number of players who missed out on the series against Sri Lanka due to injury-related issues, might be in contention for the tour of Zimbabwe.
Paceman Mashrafe Bin Mortaza is one of the players tipped to bounce back in the side as the Tigers prepare to adjust from the slow and flat wickets in the subcontinent to the pacy and bouncy wickets they are expected to face in Zimbabwe.
“Having seen the way our pacers had bowled in the series against Sri Lanka, we asked Mashrafe to make a comeback into the Test arena provided that he is fit,” Akram said.
Should Mortaza make it to the Test side, he’ll be returning to the international arena for the first time in four years. The last time he played a Test match was in 2009, when he captained Bangladesh against the West Indies.
The bowler, who had suffered a heel injury during the Bangladesh Premier League T20, has been going through rehabilitation.
Ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, slowleft-armer Enamul Haque (Jr) and top order batsman Shahriar Nafees are the other players in contention for the tour of Zimbabwe. Tamim Iqbal, who fractured his thumb during the series in Sri Lanka, is expected to be sidelined for a month and is doubtful for the upcoming series.
Source: news day