Bangladesh’s Australian head coach Shane Jurgensen termed the rivalry between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh similar to the Ashes but asked his charges not to take any extra pressure on themselves ahead of the upcoming 33-day tour.
‘This is our Ashes,’ Jurgensen told New Age on Tuesday. ‘It’s good to hear people say that to me it but we cannot get complacent neither can we take any extra pressure due to that.’
Jurgensen emphasised on taking forward the positives from the last two Test series against West Indies and Sri Lanka rather than trying to focus on the past where Zimbabwe humiliated Bangladesh by 130 runs on their return to Test cricket after six years of exile.
‘From my perspective I am not worried what we had done in 2011 and would like to say we need to focus on the present,’ said Jurgensen.
‘Some of the guys who went there in 2011 might have some sort of revenge or things like that but I would like them to follow the basics rather than emphasising on those things,’ he said.
‘I think we played competitive cricket in the last two series and I am confident that if we can take that forward in the upcoming series, we can carry our game to the next level and the result will take care of itself,’ said Jurgensen.
Jurgensen also requested his pace bowlers to come up trumps in conditions which will be seamer- friendly and he also feels that they can get 20 wickets by properly utilising the wicket at Harare.
‘We need to take 20 wickets if we want to win the Test matches and the pace bowlers need to improve as the condition would be seamer-friendly,’ said Jurgensen.
‘We would work specifically to help them being aggressive, consistent and know where to bowl,’ said Jurgensen.
‘I think if we can bowl to our potential it is very much possible to get them out twice,’ he added.
He was also delighted with the return of ace all-rounder Sakib al Hasan after his injury lay off that he believes will help the team as he is keen for the mercurial Sakib to contribute to the team’s cause in any way he can.
‘Sakib (al Hasan) is a great player, no doubt about that, and his return will certainly strengthen the team,’ said Jurgensen.
‘I am impressed by his desire to return and contribute because initially after his operation we thought he could be out for the second Test as well,’ added the Australian.
-With New Age input
