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Tigers leave for Sri Lanka

BI Report || BusinessInsider

Published: 23:29, 12 April 2021  
Tigers leave for Sri Lanka

After a nightmare limited over series in New Zealand, Bangladesh focus now shifts to the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka under the ICC Test Championship

After a nightmare limited over series in New Zealand, Bangladesh focus now shifts to the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka under the ICC Test Championship.

A 21-member Bangladesh preliminary test cricket team departed for Sri Lanka on Monday noon to play a two-match test series against the island nation. Tigers are yet to claim a point in the ICC Test Championship where they lost all of their previous six matches against India, Pakistan and second-string West Indies respectively.

Even history may be evident of how difficult Bangladesh sides have found life touring Sri Lanka but Tigers’ team leader Khaled Mahmud Sujon is optimistic that Bangladesh players will be able to pull off something special this time. Sujon thinks Bangladesh stands a good chance to defeat the Sri Lanka in the Test series.

“Defiantly we are going to win. We want to play our best cricket. As this is Test cricket, we want to dominate session by session. In the Chattogram Test against West Indies we were ahead in the fourth day but we lost in the final day. We never want to repeat this.” Sujon told reporters at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport before departing.

“Heat is a concern but Sri Lanka wicket is good. Undoutedly Sri Lanka is a tough opponent in their home conditions, but we believe we are stronger enough. We are capable to play our best cricket. If we can play our best cricket, I hope we will do better.” Sujon added.

Tigers so far earned one win on Sri Lanka backyard in their previous 12 outings. They pulled off landmark Test victory against the host Sri Lanka in their 100th Test match exactly four years ago. It was their lone Test win in Sri Lanka soil. Apart from the feat, Tigers drew a Test match in Sri Lanka in 2013 riding on Mushfiqur Rahim’s nation’s first ever international double-hundred. Mohammad Ashraful and Nasir Hossain also struck century in that memorable draw Test.

A 41-member Bangladesh team including 21-men preliminary squad, coaches, supporting staff, newly-appointed deputy manager of BCB Cricket Operations and former national opener Shahriar Nafees left for Sri Lanka through a chartered flight of Bangladesh Biman.

The Tigers will be in mandatory three-day room quarantine from April 12-14 after arriving in Sri Lanka. They will have then quarantine training from April 15-16 after which they will play an inter-squad warm-up game from April 17-18.

The Tigers will train on April 19 and 20 before taking on Sri Lanka for the first Test on April 21. The second and final Test starts on April 29. All of the two matches will be held in Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.

Preliminary Squad: Mominul Haque, Liton Kumer Das, Md Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal Khan, Shadman Islam, Abu Jayed Chowdhury Rahi, Taijul Islam, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Mohammed Saif Hassan, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Shoriful Islam, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Mukidul Islam Mugdho, Shuvagata Hom Chowdhury, Shohidul Islam, Quazi Nurul Hasan Sohan.

Nagad
Walton