BCB sees good prospect for Bangladesh
Sports Reporter
Even though Bangladesh played two times in Asia Cup final at home turf, they have no good track record at overseas condition but Akram Khan, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director and its cricket operation committee chairman said that they see a good possibility of faring well for the Tigers in the upcoming Asia Cup.
Akram also said that if younger players of the team could perform in the same pace with the senior players, the result in Asia Cup will also be better on UAE condition.
Bangladesh sneaked into the final of the Asia Cup two times in 2012 and 2016 at home turf but on both occasions they failed to clinch the coveted trophy as they lost to Pakistan by two runs and India by eight wickets respectively. So they have an insatiable thirst to triumph the Asia Cup title.
We will have enough strength to perform well in this tournament, said Akram Khan yesterday.
If you look at the last two Asia Cups, our senior players have done well. And the biggest thing is that our cricketers are playing as a team. Probably, junior players are not performing now. But theyre performing in some case what is important for the team, Akram told reporters.
Bangladesh will be stronger more as a team if junior players could perform in the same pace with the senior players. In that case, the possibility to do better for us will have well again, he added.
BCB director said that Bangladesh performance in the last series in the West Indies and the USA will act in their players back of the mind that will help them perform well in UAE.
All the players of our team are busy in the game. Therefore, well start training camp on August 27 for Asia Cup. There will be 30-32 players in the camp. And were trying to go to United Arab Emirates (UAE) a bit before the tournament, BCB Cricket Operation chairman said.
There will be three Asia Cup champions teams-Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka. Their playing standard are better. Even they are comparatively better sides and stronger more in Asia. But currently, our position is comparatively better more than Sri Lanka. Pakistan are playing better cricket at this moment. India is also playing better cricket, he also said.
But we hope, our team will do better. Bangladesh will perform well in one-day and Twenty20 in the last series what will be in mind of our players. Hopefully Bangladesh will do better, he added.
Last two-three years Bangladesh started doing well. Weve to think this. Itll be better for us not to evaluate what we played in the past. We have lost to weak teams at overseas condition. But weve been doing well for the last three-four years.
Weve been doing well T20, ODI and Test outside of the country. Before the West Indies series, our team did well in New Zealand, India and Sri Lanka in Tests. We didnt fare well out of the country in Asia Cup but this time we hope to do well in UAE.
Though Akram tips Pakistan a bit ahead on UAE condition, he said that each team has experience to play on there so none will get additional advantage from that condition.
Pakistan will be a bit ahead than the other teams. The condition we will play Asia Cup where were used to playing. Every team could easily adopt with the condition. So, I dont think that any team will get additional advantage from that condition. It fully depends on how they play on match day, he viewed.
The 16-day Asia Cup-2018, a one-day affair, is scheduled to take place in United Arab Emirates (UAE), starting on September 15. This time a total of six Asian teams, splitting into two groups, will participate in the one-day tournament. Bangladesh have been clubbed Group-B along with Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, while Group A comprises India, Pakistan and another team, who is also yet to finalise.
Bangladesh will take on five-time champion Sri Lanka in the curtain raiser at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS) in Dubai on September 15.
