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BSP-18
CRICKET-BASHAR-TEST
Tigers focus firmly on Test cricket amid BBPL festivity
DHAKA, Dec 15, 2019 (BSS)- Even though the whole Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) seemed to be immersed with the Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BBPL) from which they want to pick up some players for the World T20 next year in Australia, the Tigers team management kept their firm focus on Test cricket also.
Bangladesh national team selector Habibul Bashar Sumon said that there is no reason to think that the team forgot what mistakes they did in the one-off Test against Afghanistan and two-match Test series in India.
The Tigers were just humiliated in those latest three Test matches and they lost both of the Test matches in India by innings margin inside two and half days.
Bashar said that the players know the significance of the Test cricket and would show in Pakistan that they learnt from their mistakes if Bangladesh government gives the nod to tour in Pakistan for two-match Test series alongside a three-match T20 Internationals.
“I am not satisfied totally with our performance against Afghanistan and against India. We have played very bad cricket in three matches in a row. I am hopeful that we’ll play well against Pakistan,” Bashar said here today.
“I believe our players did get it well that where they would have to improve and they have taken their preparation that way.”
As it was always blamed, Bashar further said that they never undermine the importance of the Test cricket.
He also emphasized onto do well in Pakistan in a bid to improve their position in the World Test Championship points table.
‘The talk about the World T20 in 2020 doesn’t mean that we are not focused on Test cricket. Our first identity is that we are a cricket country. Since the World T20 is coming up, there will be some focus obviously but that doesn’t mean we are avoiding Test cricket,” he added.
“We are really focused on cricket as we know that the upcoming Pakistan series, if it is held, will be very important for us. We need to improve our position in the World Test Championship and that’s why the series is important.”
Bashar, also the former Bangladesh skipper, said that the players know well that they need to perform well to cement their place in the national team.
“In the last Test series against India, we were not up to the mark in batting and bowling. The batsmen really fared badly. Yes we want a steady team but that doesn’t mean that anyone will play bad and we’ll continue with him. You have to perform at the end and the players know that well,” he concluded.
BSS/SMP/AU/18:40 hrs