BANGLADESH ARRIVE IN ZIM

The Bangladesh cricket team arrived last night for one test match and five One Day internationals to be played in Harare and Bulawayo starting next week.

 The Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan said the weather conditions were going to play a major part in their quest for victory. If they win, the victory will be their first on Zimbabwean soil. In an exclusive interview with OFF THE CREASE upon their arrival at the Harare International Airport, he said they hoped to adapt to the Zimbabwean weather conditions as soon as possible. He said it was important for them to do so if they were to entertain any chances of winning.

“The weather will be a factor and since we will be playing a practice game I am hoping the boys will adapt to the Zimbabwean weather conditions as soon as possible, hopefully before the first Test,” he said.  “Since we haven’t played test cricket in 14 months and we haven’t played in Zimbabwe in close to a year and half it will be important for us to understand what the weather has in store for us.”

Responding to a question on Bangladesh’s chances against the host, Al Hasan said there was a lot at stake for both sides considering both teams have been absent from the Test arena for some time. Zimbabwe has been out for six years while the visitors have missed the action for only a year and two months. “We haven’t played Test for fourteen month we had quite a break, it won’t be easy for any of the teams but we are obviously here to win it, we have prepared enough and I am sure Zimbabwe has been working really hard so its game on for us ” he said.

He also noted that the he had faith in his seam attack to be led by the less experienced Shafiul Islam .”The conditions here don’t favor spin that much so the fast bowlers will have to prove themselves and I can assure you I have faith in my seamers” he said.

Bangladesh team:Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Tamim Iqbal (vc), Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Nazmul Hossain, Shahriar Nafees, Robiul Islam, Shuvagoto Hom, Nasir Hossain.
Reserves: Naeem Islam, Suhrawadi Shuvo, Alok Kopali, Syed Rasel, Sahagir Hossain