Touring Zimbabwean cricket team remain focused on Bangladesh’s spinners when they take on the hosts in the first of the three Tests today, said skipper Brendan Taylor.
Zimbabwe struggled to handle the part-time spinners of the Bangladesh Cricket Board XI during the just concluded three-day practice match, which only exposed their weakness against slow bowlers.
With Bangladesh welcoming talismanic all-rounder Sakib al Hasan back into the side after he served out a three-month ban, it is expected the hosts will put Zimbabwe in a web spin.
Sakib will lead the spin attack, which also comprises uncapped leggie Jubair Hossain and young left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, who made encouraging debut against West Indies in September.
‘I think spin is always going to be the main threat to us,’ Taylor told reporters at Mirpur. ‘Our preparation coming to the first Test was solely focused on spin,’ said Taylor.
Taylor, however, was not ready to overlook Bangladesh’s batting strength and some new-found depth in pace bowling department.
‘They can bat very well in these conditions and they have got a couple of good seam bowlers and so we have got to worry about in all three departments,’
Taylor added that he is gaining his confidence from the fact that some of his team-mates featured regularly in the domestic league of Bangladesh and that experience will be useful in the coming days.
Elton Chigumbura and Hamilton Masakadza are among the few names, who have plenty of playing experience in Bangladesh.
‘We have got some guys, who have got experience playing here at the first-class level. Hopefully, we can use that to our advantage,’ said Taylor, adding that his pace department remains his asset.
‘We have got a couple of experienced seam bowlers up front who can reverse the ball later on, they are an asset for us,’ he said.
-With New Age input
