Sports desk: While Bangladesh will play a bilateral series in overseas condition after more than two years, it is actually considered to prove that their home success over the years is not fluke at all.
To the dismay of the Bangladesh, they would have to start the mission of proving something against a team in its own condition that many big guns in the past found excruciatingly tough. New Zealand is a place where no Asian team found any success in the last two decades. Even a mighty Pakistan team has been whitewashed in Test series lately.
So for Bangladesh it’s a tough challenge. But what was positive that they didn’t let them be haunted by the past record of the Asian teams in New Zealand condition. They are rather focused on to translate the newly found confidence into the series against the Kiwis. In fact the series is the prelude to their many overseas tours in the coming years. So according to Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, a man behind Bangladesh’s epic success over the last two years, they need to gain some confidence by doing well in New Zealand condition.
“Last year we played our maximum games at home turf. We also won the maximum number of the matches of it. Two years back we had set a target that we wanted to win at least 80 percent matches at home. And we succeeded in that place,” said Mashrafe Bin Mortaza.
“It will be a different challenge that we have to play away. You all know that will be a challenge for us. It is also a challenge for the established teams. In that case, it would be more challenging for us. The weather and condition in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are different to us. I think a stiff challenge is coming ahead of us,” Mortaza told media at press conference before flying for Australia.
“But the way we played in the last two years, it gives us huge confidence. The momentum is with us at the moment. We shouldn’t scared about the past. What we need to do is to carry the momentum and give us the shot to overcome the Kiwis. I believe if we brave enough and do our things properly, we will come out with better result.”
Some in-form bowlers of Bangladesh side are sidelined with injury just ahead of the Down Under tours. Even though their key bowler, Mustafizur Rahman makes the tour, it remains question how effective he will be after long-spell injury.
The injury of some key bowlers made Mashrafe worried and he dismissed the notion that Bangladesh have enough back-up players.
“Injury is always bad for a particular player or the team. We often heard that we have so many back-up players but I don’t see adequate back-up players because if you want to replace Shakib, then you will not get anyone. It will also be tough to get a replacement of a player like the calibre of Tamim,” he rued.
“Shafiul was of course in good form. I think our back-up players are being produced gradually. It will be needed for some more time to come at this stage. The injury will affect us at this moment especially those who were in good form will be affected much,” he also said.
Citing the name of Mustafizur Rahman, the skipper said that the result of the last home series against England would be different if Mustafiz would stay with them.
“We didn’t get Mustafiz in the England series due to his injury. We have been affected for him. We could win two Tests or ODI series if we could get him against England series. It is imperative to keep ready our best players in that place,” he thought.
“I will say that Mustafiz is on way to fit though I don’t know whether he is fit fully but he starts bowling in full length. We still have some times in hands. We lost two more bowlers. We have to adjust with the rest,” he added.
The right-handed fast bowler said that winning against New Zealand is possible if they could play good brand of cricket.
“Actually it will be very difficult to say. It is very difficult to beat New Zealand at their home. Many big teams could not beat them but we don’t say that we will not do. It is possible to do that if we could play our best cricket,” the shorter-formats skipper said.
