World Twenty20 practice matches start today
Bangladesh will be keen to get into a winning habit when they start their ICC World Twenty20 preparation by taking on the United Arab Emirates in a practice match at Fatullah today.
The Tigers are eager to leave behind the disappointment of the year 2014 so far and inject some much needed confidence into the team when they take the field against a team of semi-professionals from the UAE.
The match, scheduled to start at 3:30am, will also mark the first of the official practice matches ahead of the ICC World Twenty20, which begins on March 16.
Having made it through the World T20 Qualifier last year, Khurram Khan’s UAE make their return to a global cricket event after 18 years, largely thanks to the guidelines drafted by former Pakistani player Aaqib Javed.
The importance of the practice match was reflected in the Tigers’ practice session at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Tuesday, during which players performed at a high intensity.
It was also satisfying for national team management to watch skipper Mushfiqur Rahim engaging in some individual drills with his new pair of keeping gloves.
Mushfiq has been unable to keep wickets in matches since injuring his finger in the second Test against Sri Lanka in early February.
Though he managed to participate in the Asia Cup, Mushfiq was replaced behind the stumps by Anamul Haque, and the chances are high that the arrangement will be the same in the practice matches too.
‘He looks fine during the drill session but probably won’t take on the gloves as per the instruction of the physio [Vibhab Singh],’ former national wicket keeper and current computer analyst Nasir Ahmed said on Tuesday.
‘Though he recovered, certainly more time will help to heal the wound,’ added Nasir, who manages the individual skills training of the national keepers.
Nasir added that he expects that Mushfiq will be able to return to wicketkeeping by March 16, when Bangladesh take on Afghanistan in the tournament opener.
‘From a keeping point of view, there was no problem with his footwork or gripping,’ said Nasir.
‘Apart from keeping, he had participated in all other activities so there is nothing to worry about.’
The Tigers are also strengthened in the ICC Twenty20 by the availability of opener Tamim Iqbal, who missed the Asia Cup due to a neck injury.
Sakib al Hasan was also unavailable for two Asia Cup matches, including the Tigers’ shocking defeat at the hands of tournament newcomers Afghanistan.
That loss, which led to severe criticism of the Bangladesh team, seems to have made the side hungrier, as many players emphasized the importance of a dominant win.
‘A win is a win, and it always gives you that mental edge for the next match,’ said one player.
The UAE practised at Fatullah on Tuesday.
TODAY’S WT20 WARM UP MATCHES
Bangladesh v UAE at Fatullah 3:30pm
Ireland v Nepal at Fatullah 7:30pm
Afghanistan v Netherlands at Chittagong 3:30pm
Zimbabwe v Hong Kong at Chittagong 7:30pm
-With New Age input
