Former skippers Roquibul Hasan and Khaled Mashud Pilot termed the Bangladesh squad as the best possible squad for the upcoming home series and said that Tigers should now fix a target and focus more on it against the high-ranked India. “Bangladesh have been playing a good cricket before the World Cup. Thereafter, they whitewashed Pakistan. All we will have high expectation surrounding the upcoming series against India. So, we should set our target first and try to give utmost efforts to achieve it,” said Roquibul Hasan. Riyad and Mashrafe’s injuries are a big blow for Bangladesh. But he said that there are so many back-up players, who are able to replicate their performance for the team.
  “Ahead of this series, the injuries of Mahmudullah and Mashrafe are big blow for us. Mashrafe probably comes back in the one day series. But it may not possible for Mahmudullah to return in this series,” he also said. Citing Riyad as one of the corner stone of the team’s batting line-up, the former skipper said that his absence will more or less affect on our batting line-up but there are players in the arsenal to do their jobs. “Riyad had a temperament to play a long innings. His presence would give comfort amongst the players though there are now too many players in pipeline, from where it is possible to replace them in the team. These players are able to solve our problem,” Roqibul thinks. “Nasir and Sabbir have quality to play for the team. But they weren’t in the 14-member squad. But Nasir was included only a day before to replace Mahmudullah.” On the other hand, Khaled Mashud Pilot said that BCB should build up Khulna like track, so that Bangladesh can draw the one-off Test match. “In terms of performance, reality and on-paper, India are much ahead of us in Test. We can dream to win. Sometimes dream can be achieved. But at the moment we should fix the target to draw. Draw means a win for us and loss to India” said Khaled Mashud.  “If we can draw the match then we will get down playing the one day series after boosting the confidence level. One-day is similar, where it is tough to say who will be the winner. But we can play the one-day after boosting the confidence then there is possibility to win the match,” Pilot also said.
“We don’t reach at the level to take 20 wickets of the opponent. We’ve no bowler likes of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath or Muttiah Muralitharan. We’ve improved in mentally. Now we can make draw and win,” he added. Depicting Mahmudullah as one of the key players is no more in the team, he said that his replacement Nasir has been good and he is experienced in Test. “Injury is a part of game. Mahmudullah has been replaced by Nasir Hossain, who is an experienced player and also played Test.  So, the replacement decision went for Nasir’s favour.
Now he should try to show his worth to cement his place in the team utilising the opportunity,” the former skipper points out.
The wicketkeeper-batsman said that it would had been better for the preparation at Futullah if Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) could arrange a four-day match between the national team and second string team ahead of the series.
“India planned to play in a neutral venue where Bangladesh will have less experience to play. As a team, Bangladesh played a good number of matches in Mirpur but they played comparatively less matches in Fatullah. So, BCB should arrange a trial match ahead of the Test for their training and habituation with the track,” Pilot opines.