While Bangladesh are upbeat to break the T20 jinx on New Zealand soil, after snapping the losing streak in Test and ODI, they will also start a preparation campaign for the upcoming T20 World Cup from the series, reports BSS.
The T20 World Cup is set to be held in the USA and West Indies in June, next year and Bangladesh will get 11 T20 matches, including three against New Zealand in this series for their preparation.
In between the Bangladeshi players would also play the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20, starting on January 19, 2024.
"We got 11 games now and then the BPL as well but this is a national team so we are trying to get our combination and give the players kind of roles that they will play during the World Cup and so that's the plan," Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha said at McLean Park in Napier as his side gear up for first T20 against New Zealand on Wednesday.
"Plan wise condition dictates. Lot of the plans we want to play at the same time we want to keep one eye on the T20 World Cup and so we are trying to get our plans right for that," he added.
"I said 11 matches from now to the World Cup and that's what we got in terms of matches. Whether it's ideal or not that's all we got we have to get our plans and roles right within that period," he said.
It is expected Bangladesh would tinker with the combination to get a perfect combination for the World Cup. But that doesn't mean, they would compromise with their elusive victory on New Zealand soil.
Hathurusingha hoped that his charges would be highly ambitious to snap losing streak in T20 format also, having done it in ODI and Test format earlier.
Though Bangladesh won their maiden Test here last year, they broke ODI jinx just a couple of days ago when they routed New Zealand by nine wickets in third ODI, what turned out to be dead rubber after the hosts won the first two matches.
Bangladesh managed to get the ODI victory in New Zealand after it eluded them 18 times here. In T20 format, they however so far conceded nine straight defeats against the Kiwis on New Zealand soil.
"We haven't won a T20 game over here. This was the same as one-day cricket but then we managed to win the last game," Hathurusingha remarked.
"Certainly it will help (ODI win over New Zealand at Napier) mentally when you have a good win always you feel good and because you have done something you want to repeat again no matter what the format is and that will give us confidence leading into the T20Is," he commented.
Bangladesh will also be looking forward to keep their unbeaten streak intact in the shortest format having won all the three T20I series they played so far in 2023. The series victory however came against reigning T20 World Cup champions England, Ireland and Afghanistan at their own back yard. A T20I series win in New Zealand will be the icing on the cake for the tourists.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
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