Adjustment no problem as Shanto and Co brace for battle

Having put the finishing touches to their preparation, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said that they are raring to go up against Zimbabwe in the solitary Test in Harare, starting on Sunday.

The one-off Test will serve as preparation for the Tigers ahead of the more important assignment away to Australia where they will play two Test matches in August. Bangladesh have only ever toured Down Under once, in 2003.

Bangladesh and Zimbabwe’s head to head Test record is almost neck and neck.

In 20 matches, Bangladesh have been victorious on nine occasions against Zimbabwe’s eight with the other three games ending in draw.

And on the eve of the Harare five-dayer, Shanto said that they have adjusted well to the conditions, stating, “Some of us arrived here a few days ago, so I would say it has been good for us and now we are fully ready for the match, a few players came here later but adjusted themselves in practice last couple of days, I hope they don’t face problems adjusting in the game.”

“We have been able to take our preparation, we tried to take our best preparation in the available facilities, we are confident since we played good cricket in the last few series, I believe we will be able to do something good in the Test match, we want to win the match and play good cricket, because after this game we have a few away series, so it is important for us to play well here, if bowlers and batters do well here it will help us in the coming series’, so the target would be to play good cricket.”

In the absence of wicketkeeper-batter Litton Kumar Das, the uncapped Amite Hasan is all set to make his debut and chief selector Habibul Bashar Sumon heaped praise on the 24-year old ahead of his anticipated Test bow.

“He (Amite) is a potential Test player for the future. I mean he is very good. I have seen his batting; he has a very skillful technique. Players with such techniques usually do good. And he has proven himself, right? He has scored runs, even in the last match against Zimbabwe A,” said Bashar.

“To be honest, if Litton was available, this opportunity (of Amite making a debut) would be difficult. If Litton was available and was injured here in Zimbabwe, then it would have been difficult for him (Amite). Rather, we think it is for the better to have his debut in Zimbabwe,” he noted.

“It is an opportunity for him (Amite). It is an opportunity for us. Still, Zimbabwe is a tough place to play. Test matches are usually a bit difficult, but honestly, I don’t want to put the pressure of expectation on him. He should enjoy this Test match. It is not like he has to do something extraordinary here. It is the simple things that he needs to do,” he concluded.