Image Credit- BCB
Bangladesh’s head coach Chandika Hathurusingha stated
that his squad was hoping to start afresh with the two-match Test series
against New Zealand following a dismal World Cup campaign. The third cycle of
the ICC Test Championship, which will consist of Tests at Sylhet and Dhaka,
will see both Bangladesh and New Zealand begin their campaigns.
The Nazmul Hossain-led team will have a lot of new
faces because usual skipper Shakib Al Hasan, quick bowlers Ebadot Hossain and
Taskin Ahmed, and senior players Tamim Iqbal and Litton Das are out due to
personal reasons.
“This is almost like a new-look Bangladesh team
for various reasons, not by design. Sometimes it’s injuries. So, I think we are
ready as we can be and I’m looking forward to this Test series,”
Hathurusingha told reporters at the SICS, two days out from the game.
“It’s challenging to lose that much of experience
from any team, especially for Bangladesh because those guys have been, like,
part of the Bangladesh team in every format for more than 15 years, some of
them, and some of them 10 years, so that’s why I said, for us, it’s something
to look forward to, what the youngsters can do.
“I think it’s a time that we need to move on from
some of the players that have played for a long time. They’re not going to be
there forever. But this is happening because of many reasons. So, I think it’s
exciting, and it’s an opportunity for some of the youngsters to make their name
and then have a long career,” he added.
Haturusingha, who briefly captained the ODI team in
Shakib’s absence, expressed his excitement to watch how Nazmul Hossain would
handle his captaincy responsibilities in the face of Test cricket’s
difficulties. Additionally, he downplayed the significance of the historic
victory at Mount Maunganui during the previous meeting between these two teams
in New Zealand, saying that the game will be completely different at home.
“The new captain, it’s an opportunity for him to
create his own leadership group, his own way of leading. So he will be
different. It’s an opportunity for him as well as the other players also to get
used to the way he leads. I’m really excited for all these changes,” he
said.