Shakib says Tigers are up for the Windies challenge
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|| CF DESK ||
Bangladesh Test captain Shakib al Hasan is confident that his team is ready for the latest West Indies challenge, which begins today with the first Test in Antigua.
The new Test skipper reckoned that the Antigua wicket would be different, but suitable for batting this time.
"The squad is very excited and everyone is looking forward to the match. I think it's a completely different wicket. It's completely different to what it was four years ago. It looked a better wicket to me and I think it will be good for batting. I think batting will be harder in the fourth innings when spinners will come into play," said Shakib
"But it will be important how well we bat in our first innings. Batting first or bowling first won't make any difference as long as you do it well. We have to prepare for everything and I think the boys are up for the challenge,"
Shakib also stated that he is not worried about his form and considers it as a good opportunity to get off to a positive start.
"I am in a good position but I am not too worried about form because I had a good game against Sri Lanka in the last series. I am not too worried about my individual performance. We are looking for more of a team performance. We haven't played well in the Test format recently but this is a chance to prove everyone wrong by doing well in this Test match and taking it from there. If we can do well in this Test match, I think it will be a very good starting point for this series," he said.
Shakib pointed out that the Tigers would start to get the results in the next one-and-a-half to two years and that there were a few new faces getting opportunities, which could create a pool of players for all three formats.
"We have played a lot of cricket across the formats and guys are getting injured. At the same time, that births opportunities for newer guys to play games. So we might get results in two years when we see [a pool of] 25 to 30 players to pick across formats.
"It will be a very good thing for Bangladesh cricket. At this moment, it seems like we are playing so much cricket but not with a big number of players. But within a year and a half, a lot of players will come up because of injuries and that it will help us. If they start performing, then there will be a healthy competition," Shakib added.
