The technical ability of Bangladesh batsmen to survive in the middle will be tested when they will play their first practice match ahead of West Indies tour at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium today. The 15-member squad along with some other national players will be divided into two groups to play the 60-over-a-side match which will be played with red ball. The Tigers will play another practice match with white ball under the floodlights on August 9 at the same venue before they leave home for the Caribbean.
Chief selector Faruk Ahmed said that the decision of not playing the first practice match in the traditional one-day format was taken to allow the batsmen to get some more time in the middle.
Batting is a serious concern ahead of the West Indies tour for the Tigers who were unable to post a single win in one-day internationals in 2014.
‘The batsmen will have some more time to settle and that is the key for us,’ said Faruk, adding that the match will also give the Tigers’ new coach Chandika Hathurusinghe an opportunity to see his charges in match condition.
‘Match condition is always different from practice. The coach will have a chance to see who fits in where and what to expect from whom,’ said Faruk.
Opener Tamim Iqbal is expected to play the match after recovering from his ankle injury that he sustained while batting against paceman Taskin Ahmed earlier this week.
Tamim batted in the nets with ease on Wednesday, shrugging off any kind of fear.
Bangladesh will play three ODIs and two Test matches along with a Twenty 20 international in their month-long stay in the Caribbean.
-With New Age input
