Bangladesh skipper Tamim Iqbal has stated that Bangladesh are making a firm effort to play on grounds that are more conducive to batting with the ODI World Cup in mind.
Bangladesh captain claimed that the last game of the three-match ODI series against England--which was initially scheduled to be played at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka--was moved to the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram. The pitches are extremely dissimilar. The Dhaka pitch is a spinner's dream because the ball grips and turns frequently there. In all media, it is frequently referred to as Bangladesh's bulwark. On the other hand, the Chattogram surface is better for batting. Both teams will play three ODIs starting from March 1 in Mirpur and then will engage in three T20Is from March 9. "We have been discussing about playing better on true wickets," ESPNcricinfo quoted Tamim as saying. "You will see a reflection of our thinking, starting from this series when we shifted the third ODI to Chattogram instead of playing all the matches in Dhaka. It is a step forward. We are expecting mostly batting-friendly wickets in the World Cup. But we must remember that while trying to make these changes, we cannot be result-oriented. We have to tolerate losing. We have to be open for both results in the short-term, but in two or three months, we will get results," he added. Tamim stated that they are attempting to determine how to deal with the Dhaka pitches when using the new ball; it was difficult for both Bangladesh and India to play there in December. "Both teams had a top-order issue during the India series. It was difficult for both teams against the new ball in Dhaka. The middle orders did well against the older ball. We are talking about it as a group, how we can minimise the issue. We have to avoid putting the lower-middle order under too much pressure," Tamim said. Tamim is making a comeback after missing the last six months of Bangladesh's matches. He claimed that while he has prepared well, he is eager to learn what he can accomplish in the middle. "I can take the best preparation, train as hard as I can. We will see the end result in the game. I thought I had a decent BPL, but that's in the past. This is a new challenge. I am getting prepared to the best of my ability. If I score, brilliant, if I don't, I will keep working hard," said the Bangladesh skipper. (ANI)
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