Bangladesh have now shifted their focus on the forthcoming three-match one-day series against New Zealand putting behind their impressive performance in the just-concluded Test series, said coach Shane Jurgensen on Saturday. The Tigers drew the two-match Test series 0-0 to end a commendable year in the longer-version format. The hosts will now begin their ODI campaign amidst high expectations keeping in mind the remarkable 4-0 one-day series sweep against the Kiwis the last time the two sides met in Bangladesh in limited-overs international.
‘There will be some high expectations from different areas,’ Jurgensen told reporters at a city hotel.
‘I think what is going to be important is controlling that expectation from my side of the fence and staying calm. We just got to make sure when we face tough times we stick together.
‘I am confident that we will be good once we get over that initial sort of excitement. We just have to settle down and get on as a team. For me what is good is that we are quite settled considering the whole squad and possibly the team we play,’ he said.
The 37-year old Australian coach was looking forward to reaping the benefits of the fitness camp which took place prior to the Test series against New Zealand.
The Bangladeshi cricketers underwent a three-week long fitness camp emphasising on a number of issues including death bowling.
‘Our biggest challenge lies if we can execute at the death and finish off the job,’ said Jurgensen.
‘Hopefully their fitness can take them through to the 50 overs of their bowling and at the end.
‘At the death we just have to execute and it has cost us matches in the past. Hopefully with the added fitness we are looking towards that.
‘Hopefully that will carry not just into the bowling department but in the other areas of the game,’ he added.
Jurgensen added that he was pleased to see that the responsibility of the team was shared by cricketers whose arrivals in the national team came not very long ago.
Bangladesh debuted four cricketers during last year’s home series against West Indies in November – Mominul Haque, Sohag Gazi, Anamul Haque and Abul Hasan.
Among the quartet, only the ailing Abul Hasan is missing from action as the right-arm seamer is currently recovering from a back operation.
Off-spinner Sohag Gazi entered his name in the history book when he became the first ever cricketer to score a hundred and take a hat-trick in a Test match.
Mominul on the other hand concluded the Test series earning the man-of-the-series and man-of-the-match accolades after blasting two centuries.
‘[Sohag] Gazi was very good and what I like about him is that he is not afraid about anything,’ said Jurgensen.
‘Mominul [Haque] was unbelievable. He is a wise head on young shoulders,’ he said.
Jurgensen also expressed his happiness with the return of talismanic paceman Mashrafee bin Murtaza who missed the last two tours against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe respectively.
‘[Mashrafee] is looking extremely sharp. His presence both on and off the field is very important,’ added the soft-spoken coach.
-With New Age input
