Miraz eyes WC lessons despite Zimbabwe series defeat

Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz said that his side would use the lessons from the One Day International series against Zimbabwe as part of their preparations for next year's ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, despite ending the three-match contest with a 2-1 defeat.

Bangladesh finished the tour on a positive note with a convincing seven-wicket victory in the third and final ODI at Harare Sports Club on Saturday after losing the opening two matches.

Miraz noted that adapting to unfamiliar conditions was one of the biggest takeaways from the series.

"I think these were new conditions and a new ground for us. We played here after a long time and learned so many things. Hopefully, in the future, whenever we come to similar conditions, we will know how to approach our cricket and how to play here," Miraz said after the match.

The Bangladesh skipper was particularly pleased with the performance of his pace attack, which consistently troubled the Zimbabwean batters throughout the series.

"I think the boys bowled really well from the beginning. Taskin (Ahmed) and Shoriful (Islam), the way they bowled, was outstanding. They took responsibility and gave us early breakthroughs," he stated.

"I told the boys that what happened in the last two matches can happen in cricket, but we still had a very good opportunity today. Winning this match was important because it gives the team confidence and positive momentum going forward," he added.

Miraz also explained the decision to bowl first after winning the toss, saying that Bangladesh had identified the early assistance available for the seamers.

"I felt it would be a little tricky early on and the bowlers could take advantage of the conditions. That's why we chose to bowl first," he said.

"Throughout the series our fast bowlers did a very good job. Nahid Rana, Taskin and Shoriful all bowled brilliantly. They took wickets, accepted responsibility and set the tone for the team," he added.

Bangladesh bowled Zimbabwe out for 199 before chasing down the target comfortably, thanks to a record 151-run opening partnership between Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Soumya Sarkar.

Miraz praised both openers for executing the team's plans perfectly.

"It was a great partnership. We had spoken about not losing wickets in the first 10 overs, and Tamim and Soumya batted excellently," he said.

"They gave us the platform we needed. Of course, there are still a few areas where we need to improve, and we are working on those. We believe we can become a better team if we continue learning from performances like this," he concluded.