Bangladesh will be eyeing to start the ICC World Test Championship second cycle on a positive note as they will host Pakistan for a two-match Test series in November-December this year.
Before the start of the Test series, the Tigers will also host a three-match T20I series, scheduled at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium respectively on November 19, 20, and 22, both the boards confirmed on Tuesday.
National selector Habibul Bashar insisted that they need to have a positive start in the second cycle of ICC WTC leaving behind their disappointing campaign in the inaugural edition of the competition where they finished last among nine teams with only 20 points.
“To be honest we were not close to our expectations in the previous cycle and there were many issues as well as the unavailability of some of the cricketers and all those things. However, I’m not ready to put them as an excuse,” Habibul told The Daily Sun on Tuesday.
“We have to leave behind all our disappointments and look to have a fresh beginning,” he added.
Habibul claimed that their batting unit must click as a unit in Tests if they want to achieve success in this format as he felt that it’s an area that made them suffer earlier.
“I think our major focus will be in our batting considering we weren’t consistent in Test matches,” said the former national skipper.
Bangladesh can heave a sigh of great relief as they don’t need to pick two teams for the series as the PCB has agreed to send their two teams simultaneously for the Test and T20I series.
Earlier there was a discussion that suggested the PCB was eyeing to send their Test team earlier and send their T20I squad after a few days of the Test series.
The BCB officials earlier insisted that they are mulling over introducing a rotation policy after the ICC T20 World Cup and even find separate teams as they are expected to travel to New Zealand to play two Tests and two T20Is when they will host Pakistan for the T20I series.
“I think that problem is solved and we will be getting everyone both against Pakistan and New Zealand,” said Habibul.
“We must have a good start against Pakistan as if you are down initially it is very hard to cover from there,” he added.
It will be the first time since the ACC Asia Cup T20 in 2016 Pakistan national cricket team will travel to Bangladesh while they last played a bilateral series here back in 2015.
The Tigers cleanly swept them away in the three-match ODI series as well as defeated them in the lone T20I series during the series in 2015.
Bangladesh also earned their maiden Test draw against the visitors in the first Test in Khulna before losing the second Test to lose the Test series by 0-1 margin during the series.
Although the upcoming series will be Bangladesh’s first Test series in the current WTC window, Pakistan have already begun their campaign against West Indies and drew the two-match Test series 1-1 last month.
