DHAKA, Jan 26, 2020 (BSS)- While the three-match T20 series is yet to be finished, Bangladesh Test specialists started preparing them for the Test series against Pakistan under the guidance of Neil McKenzie.
Bangladesh would play a Test, scheduled to be held on February 7 in
Rawalpindi in their second phase of the tour of Pakistan.
In the third and last phase of the tour, Bangladesh would play an ODI on
April 3 and the second Test from April 5-9 in Karachi.
The two Test matches, however, are the part of World Test Championship and
so the importance is given more on that.
McKenzie who is the batting consultant only for the T20 and ODI cricket,
opted against touring Pakistan and instead stayed in Bangladesh to prepare
the players for the Test series.
He said that he is trying to prepare the batsman to deal with reverse
swing and bouncer barrage, which the Pakistani bowlers are expected to do in
Test series.
Pakistani pace bowlers had already managed to create an impression in the
opening two games of the ongoing three-matchT20 series and it suggests that
they would dominate the Test series as well against the visitors.
“I am spending time with the Test players who are not involved in the T20
and it has been really good by getting to know some of the news players well
enough and just trying to enhance their skill,” McKenzie said here today.
“Obviously they did not have good results in the last few months and it
also does not make anybody a bad player. It is more about up skilling the
player and builds cricket awareness,” he added.
Bangladesh currently is on seven-match losing streak in Test cricket and
their last Test win came against Zimbabwe in 2018.
“I think, with the Test side it’s about the bouncing ball and even though
we will play in the sub-continent and in Pakistan but we know it’s going to
be a good wicket and it will be quick,” McKenzie remarked.
The Pakistan seamers have the reputation of doing the ball reverse-swing
with which they unsettled the opponent quite many times.
“We will be doing some preparation on facing reverse swing and just game
preparation as they have got few good left-arm seamers. Luckily we have got
some left arm seamers and we are just talking about angles. We would try to
make an impact,” he said.