Bangladesh cricketers leave Dhaka for Pakistan Test

Bangladesh national cricket team left Dhaka on Tuesday evening for Doha enroute to the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi to play the first Test of the two-match series against Pakistan that will begin on 7 February, reports UNB.

Before the Test series, Bangladesh played a three-match T20 series against hosts Pakistan and lost the series 0-2 with another one washing out due to rain.

Before flying to Pakistan, Bangladesh batsman Mohammad Mithun said they are upbeat to make a strong challenge to the hosts in this Test.

“We have prepared well to play good cricket in Pakistan. I hope we will play better cricket than we did in the T20 series,” Mithun told the media at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur in the capital on Tuesday.

Bangladesh will miss the service of reliable Mushfiqur Rahim in the Test series as the wicketkeeper-batsman opted out from this series citing family concern to tour Pakistan.

“We are surely going to miss him in this series. He has been playing a good brand of cricket for a long time. But, we will try to play our best cricket so that we can come back with a good result,” Mithun further said.

Bangladesh team have no practice game before their first Test in Pakistan in 17 years. They will get only two or three practice sessions before the game. This short preparation at the venue might affect the game of the Tigers.

However, Bangladesh pacer Ebadot Hossain said they are not going to focus on that. He rather said they have prepared well to face any sort of challenges.

“I don’t think it will harm our game. As far as I know, the wickets of Pakistan are mostly batting-friendly. We have played on the same sort of wickets in Bangladesh. We are confident to play our best cricket, and if we can do that, we will have a good result,” Ebadot told the media.

Ebadot is known for his pace, but the bowler is not looking for pace only. He is preferring to bowl at the right areas consistently as well. “A bowler gets more time in Test cricket to bowl. So, the consistency is the key to do well in Test cricket, and I am looking forward to this.”

Saif Hassan, the right-handed opener, who was close to getting his Test cap in Kolkata Test last year but a sudden injury delayed his chance. But this time around, the batsman is all set to play his maiden Test for the Tigers. Saif said he is ready to take the challenge of international cricket.

“I was ready for the previous chance, but a blow in the hand delayed my debut for Bangladesh. I am ready again. I've worked with our batting coach Neil McKenzie for a long time. He taught me how to bat in Test cricket. So, I am confident to make my debut memorable,” Saif told the media.

Along with the new guys, the onus will be on Tamim Iqbal, captain Mominul Haque and Mahmudullah Riyad. All of them hit centuries in the first round of the ongoing Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL).

Tigers will come back after this Test and travel to Pakistan again in April to play one ODI and the second and last Test of the series in Karachi.