Shakib thinks Ireland tour will be a challenging one

DHAKA, July 6: Shakib Al Hasan feels that the forthcoming tour of Ireland will be a challenging tour for the Bangladesh team but they are sanguine of winning all the matches of the tour.The training session of the Bangladesh Team for their Europe tour opened with a light indoor practice at BCB Academy at Mirpur on Thursday. Regular players along with stand-by players took part in the training camp, which started under the supervision of the Head Coach Richard Pybus.
“Our prime target will be to win all the matches of the tour. If we can play to our potential then there will have no possibility of conceding defeat in any match in the forthcoming tour of Europe. Nobody thinks of defeat against Ireland and it will be better for us if we can avoid negative thinking prior to the tour,” said Shakib Al Hasan after Thursday’s practice session for Ireland’s tour.
World No.1 all-rounder Shakib urged his teammates not to consider the previous record of the Bangladesh team, the ensuing Ireland’s tour will be more difficult than the recently concluded tri-nation Twenty20 series in Zimbabwe.
All-rounder Shakib opined, “Ireland’s tour will be tougher than recently concluded tour of Zimbabwe because of different types of wickets and weather condition. It will be very much challenging to play in Ireland though the summer is going on. As a professional team we have to cope with any  condition and have to play for normal game.”
“There will be always a pressure of winning against a comparative weaker team. But our concentration will be on playing good cricket. My personal and team’s main target is to play well.”
The previous tour in Ireland in 2010 was not so good for the Bangladesh team. Even they have bitter experience to concede defeat to Ireland in the Twenty20 World Cup.
Shakib comprehends that the record of Bangladesh team in this format is not so good because of playing a scanty number of Twenty20 matches.
“We have a host of one day specialists in the team. The result of a match will be shifted within three or four overs in one day international but the match result in Twenty20 format will be changed just in one over. We are now learning it. We have to play more Twenty20 matches to learn it properly.”
Meanwhile, a good number of players are going to play in the Sri Lankan Premier League (SLPL).
When asked about the matter, the former captain informed, “Sri Lanka’s wicket is a little bit different than others though it is a country of this sub-continent. We are going  to play in Sri Lanka after a long gap. Those who will get chance to play in the (SLPL), they will get a chance to share their experience with others. It will benefit for our team in the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup.”
“I enjoyed my recess period though I spent a busy time. I wanted to stay away from cricket for some days and I could do so,” the Magura-born Shakib said while answering to a query.
“Our training started again. I want to come back in form as early as possible. Prior to the tour of Ireland, I want to get back my form and rhythm like IPL, BPL or Asia Cup,” said the all-rounder.

Source : theindependentbd