New skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza hopes to produce improve performance as Bangladesh cricket team leave for Barbados, West Indies on a five weeks tour today.
Ace pace bowler Mashrafe replaced Mohammad Ashraful as captain of the national cricket team. His deputy on the tour will be World’s number one-day all rounder Shakib Al Hasan.
BCB arranged a press conference at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium’s auditorium today. Coach Jamie Siddons, assistant coach Khaled Mahmud Sujon, Captain Mashrafe and vice captain Shakib Al Hasan spoke on the occasion.
Bangladesh will play two test matches three one-day internationals and one Twenty20 match. Besides the official games there will be two practice matches. Then the Tiger will embark for Zimbabwe to play five One-day international.
Siddons facing the local media at home after the Twenty20 world Cup debacle was very diplomatic while answering the questions by the sports scribes.
Siddons said, ” I welcome Mashrafe as captain of the Bangladesh team and I believe under his captaincy Bangladesh team will put up improve display. He is perhaps one player who is consistent with his performance since his debut with the national team. The inclusion of former national captain Khaled Mahmud as assistant coach will definitely help the squad.”
Regarding Ashraful, Siddons said, ” With the burden of captaincy not on his shoulder I hope Ashraful will take this opportunity to flourish to his true potentials. Bangladesh should take lessons from previous tour and put effort for an improve performance.
Vice captain Shakib was more realistic in his view regarding West Indies tour, he said, After T20 debacle this Windies tour will be a more pressure one. Our goal is to perform better. We have been practicing in the indoor gym against short pitch bowling since we will receive in big number in this tour.
This current West Indies side in an inexperience one which resolves around three senior batsmen where batting is concern and if we can contain these three star batsmen we will be able to restrict them whereas in bowling department they are pretty strong so we will have to bat well in order to put pressure on them.
Skipper Mashrafee said to the press he is looking forward to lead the Bangladesh side and admitted that he has taken the captaincy of the team with the confidence level as the lowest ebb.
He reminded putting good performance in test matches against Australia, New Zealand and against South Africa. Remembering those effort will inspire the team and will help us to bring out best among us.
The Bangladesh Test Squad for the Tour of West Indies is as follows: Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (captain), Shakib Al Hasan (vice captain), Tamim Iqbal, Zunaed Siddique, Mohammad Ashraful, Roqibul Hassan, Mushfiqur Rahim (Wicket Keeper), Mehrab Hossain Jr., Shahadat Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Mahbubul Alam, Imrul Kayes, Mahmud Ullah, Enamul Haque Jr., Sahagir Hossain (Wicket Keeper).
Stand By: Abdur Razzak, Syed Rasel, Naeem Islam, Nazmul Hossain, Shamsur Rahman.
ITINERARY: Tour of West Indies 2009:
Full tour schedule
June 29: Bangladesh Team departs Dhaka
June 30: Bangladesh Team arrives Barbados
July 3-5: Bangladesh vs West Indies “A” Team at Kensington
Oval, Barbados
July 9-13: 1st Digicel Test at Arnos Vale, St Vincent
July 17-21: 2nd Digicel Test at National Stadium, Grenada
July 24: vs UWI Vice Chancellor’s XI at Portsmouth, Dominica
July 26: 1st Digicel ODI at Windsor Park, Dominica
July 28: 2nd Digicel ODI at Windsor Park, Dominica
July 31: 3rd Digicel ODI at Warner Park, St. Kitts
August 2: Digicel T20 International at Warner Park, St Kitts
