Azad Majumder
Bangladesh will look to maintain their recent success record against Zimbabwe when the two teams will meet in the opening match of the tri-nation one-day tournament at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium today.
Bangladesh, who still have a poor head-to-head record against Zimbabwe with 15 wins against 18 defeats, have won both the series against the west African nation in their last two meetings.
After a 5-0 victory at home in December 2006, Bangladesh went on to win 3-1 in a four-match series in Zimbabwe, which helped them overtake the Africans in the official ICC one-day rankings.
The inaugural match of the four-match tri-nation tournament is crucial for Bangladesh and Zimbabwe as the winning side will get an advantage to move into the final of the competition, which also features favourites Sri Lanka.
‘Given our ranking, given the opposition in one-day cricket at the moment, given that we are improving as a team, I am pretty confident. Still we have to play very good cricket to win the game,’ said Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons ahead of the game.
Zimbabwe have issued a warning by winning their warm-up game against the GP-BCB Cricket Academy by 195 runs, but Siddons said it should not be a problem if the bowlers can follow his instructions.
iddons is also confident that Bangladesh will overcome their catching problems that have dogged them in the two-Test series against Sri Lanka and the top four batsmen will also deliver in this match.
‘We had a lot of concentration problem in Test cricket. Our guys don’t do that well. But in one-day cricket they should be switched on as it’s a matter of only 50 overs. Putting some experience up in the order, I am confident that our top four batsmen will also do the job,’ said Siddons.
Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful, however, said there is no room for complacency and added that they have to play very good cricket should they want to win this match.
‘I don’t think Zimbabwe are weaker opponents as their players have been playing together for four years. So we have to perform in all three departments if we want a better result against them,’ said Ashraful.
‘Both of their spinners (Prosper Utseya and Raymond Price) are good. But I am confident about our team as well. Sakib (al Hasan) will be our main spinner, but some other guys like Mehrab (Hossain) and Naeem (Islam) also can do the job,’ Ashraful added.
Bangladesh have left rookie pacer Rubel Hossain and left-arm spinner Enamul Haq Junior out of the 12-man squad for the opening match and all-rounder Mahmudullah Riyad will most likely take the role of 12th man.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
