Bangladesh confident for 1st Test against Kiwis
Friday, 4 January 2008
DUNEDIN, JAN 3 (AP): Bangladesh's long-running bid for credibility in international cricket will be re-examined when it meets New Zealand in the first of two test matches at the University Oval beginning today (Friday).
Bangladesh, under captain Mohammad Ashraful, arrived in New Zealand last month confident of enhancing its record and reputation in test and limited-overs matches against a Kiwi team badly beaten in recent series in South Africa and Australia.
They made a promising start when they beat a New Zealand XI in a Twenty20 warmup match for their first win on New Zealand soil. But they lost the limited-overs series 3-0, becoming progressively less competitive with every match.
Despite Ashraful's promise of improvement, Bangladesh lost the first match by six wickets, the second by 102 runs and the third by 10 wickets as New Zealand surpassed their meager total of 93 in only six overs.
The visitors now enter the test series with their confidence and morale at a low level, still without a win over a full New Zealand side in any form of the game.
Friday's first test will be Bangladesh's 50th. Of its 49 previous tests, the side has lost 43, drawn five and achieved its only win over Zimbabwe in Bangladesh in 2005.
Bangladesh and New Zealand have met four times in tests and New Zealand has won each of those previous meetings by an innings.
Bangladesh needs at least to avoid a loss of that magnitude to begin rebuilding its self-esteem.
"My New Year's resolution revolves around seeing the team better its test record and become more competitive in this form of the game," Ashraful said. "It's fair to admit that we haven't improved as expected in tests in the last eight years."
New Zealand coach John Bracewell said he has seen an improvement since the teams last played.
"I can only comment on what I've seen over the last three years and there's a vast difference from the side we played in Bangladesh (in 2004) till now," Bracewell said.
"They tend to rely on a vital few. Having said that, so do we. They have knocked some good teams over."
The University Oval will be hosting a test match for the first time. A recent first-class match on the ground ended within two days as fast bowlers received unusual assistance from a greentop wicket.
New Zealand Cricket considered moving the test after that match but have worked to improve the pitch and have expressed confidence conditions for the match will be of test standard.
Teams:
New Zealand: Daniel Vettori (captain), Brendon McCullum, Matthew Bell, Craig Cumming, Stephen Fleming, Peter Fulton, Chris Martin, Michael Mason, Kyle Mills, Iain O'Brien, Jacob Oram and Mathew Sinclair.
Bangladesh: Mohammad Ashraful (captain), Habibul Bashar, Shahriar Nafees, Mashrafe Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, Aftab Ahmed, Enamul Haque, Farhad Reza, Junaid Siddique, Mushfiqur Rahim, Rajin Saleh, Sajidul Islam, Shahadat Hossain, Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal.
Bangladesh, under captain Mohammad Ashraful, arrived in New Zealand last month confident of enhancing its record and reputation in test and limited-overs matches against a Kiwi team badly beaten in recent series in South Africa and Australia.
They made a promising start when they beat a New Zealand XI in a Twenty20 warmup match for their first win on New Zealand soil. But they lost the limited-overs series 3-0, becoming progressively less competitive with every match.
Despite Ashraful's promise of improvement, Bangladesh lost the first match by six wickets, the second by 102 runs and the third by 10 wickets as New Zealand surpassed their meager total of 93 in only six overs.
The visitors now enter the test series with their confidence and morale at a low level, still without a win over a full New Zealand side in any form of the game.
Friday's first test will be Bangladesh's 50th. Of its 49 previous tests, the side has lost 43, drawn five and achieved its only win over Zimbabwe in Bangladesh in 2005.
Bangladesh and New Zealand have met four times in tests and New Zealand has won each of those previous meetings by an innings.
Bangladesh needs at least to avoid a loss of that magnitude to begin rebuilding its self-esteem.
"My New Year's resolution revolves around seeing the team better its test record and become more competitive in this form of the game," Ashraful said. "It's fair to admit that we haven't improved as expected in tests in the last eight years."
New Zealand coach John Bracewell said he has seen an improvement since the teams last played.
"I can only comment on what I've seen over the last three years and there's a vast difference from the side we played in Bangladesh (in 2004) till now," Bracewell said.
"They tend to rely on a vital few. Having said that, so do we. They have knocked some good teams over."
The University Oval will be hosting a test match for the first time. A recent first-class match on the ground ended within two days as fast bowlers received unusual assistance from a greentop wicket.
New Zealand Cricket considered moving the test after that match but have worked to improve the pitch and have expressed confidence conditions for the match will be of test standard.
Teams:
New Zealand: Daniel Vettori (captain), Brendon McCullum, Matthew Bell, Craig Cumming, Stephen Fleming, Peter Fulton, Chris Martin, Michael Mason, Kyle Mills, Iain O'Brien, Jacob Oram and Mathew Sinclair.
Bangladesh: Mohammad Ashraful (captain), Habibul Bashar, Shahriar Nafees, Mashrafe Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, Aftab Ahmed, Enamul Haque, Farhad Reza, Junaid Siddique, Mushfiqur Rahim, Rajin Saleh, Sajidul Islam, Shahadat Hossain, Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal.