“We won against Australia, but New Zealand will be a tough opponent to beat” - Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan
Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has said that although the hosts would be on a high after beating Australia, they are not going to take things lightly against New Zealand. The Kiwis have sent a second-string team, led by Tom Latham, for the five-match T20I series, which begins on Wednesday.
In their previous T20I assignment, Bangladesh created history by trampling Australia, who were missing a number of their key players, 4-1 at home.
Despite the euphoria of the triumph against Australia, Shakib told Sportskeeda that Bangladesh expect a tough fight from a ‘better prepared’ New Zealand team. He elaborated in this regard:
"The aim of the New Zealand series should be to prepare ourselves for the T20 World Cup. Yes, we won against Australia, but I think New Zealand will be a tough opponent to beat. They will be well prepared because they saw the pitches we played on against Australia.”
Shakib added that Bangladesh would benefit from the series if they could replicate the kind of pitches that are likely to be on offer during the T20 World Cup in the UAE. The Bangladesh all-rounder explained:
“If we keep in mind that we are playing (the T20 World Cup) in the UAE, in ICC tournaments the wickets have always been very good. So, if we want to prepare ourselves better for the T20 World Cup, we need to play on some very good wickets."
"I don’t know how the wickets (for the New Zealand series) will play. During the rainy season in Bangladesh, it is hard to prepare very good wickets. We have to keep our fingers crossed that we will get some good pitches. That will give us better practice before the T20 World Cup.”
Cannot get overconfident against New Zealand: Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah
Like Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah also agreed the hosts have no reason to be complacent after their triumph over Australia.
He urged his team to show the same hunger they displayed against Australia, in the series against the Kiwis too. Mahmudullah said while speaking to the media:
"You can consider yourself favourites in T20s, but if it becomes overconfidence, it can be negative for you. The team that reads the conditions well and has the hunger to do well on the day usually comes out on top in T20s. Having said that, they are a very disciplined side in their homework and execution level. We must remain focused and hungry, as we did against Australia. I would love to see the continuity."
All five matches of the Bangladesh-New Zealand T20I series will be played at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka from September 1 to 10.