“We’ll focus on winning the all three ODIs against Afghanistan”.
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The home side last played an global match during the ICC World Twenty20 in India in April this year and has played no one-dayers since hosting Zimbabwe in November last year. “That is what we are trying to get over, that uncertainty”.
They have always been a strong batting team, and with players like Shahzad and Stanikzai in their ranks, Afghanistan will look to start the ODI series against Bangladesh with a bang.
“Not playing for a long time is a bit of an Achilles’s heel for us”, Bangladesh Coach Chandika Hathurusinghe said on Saturday.
Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza won the toss and elected to bat in the first one-day global against Afghanistan at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Sunday.
Bangladesh will be boosted with the return of Taskin Ahmed, whose bowling action has been cleared by the International Cricket Council.
Taskin and left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny were reported for suspect actions after Bangladesh’s opening match in the ICC World Twenty20 against the Netherlands in India.
“He is one of our best bowlers”. While Sunny was made to wait, Bangladesh drafted Taskin immediately in the squad against Afghanistan.
“We had the same attack in the 50-over World Cup”, Mashrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh skipper, said.
“Those who were out of the team, they have chance to prove themselves”.
Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai introduced spin in the form of Mohammad Nabi in the sixth over.
First ball is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Bangladesh Standard Time on Sunday, September 25, at Shere-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in the country’s capital city of Dhaka.
Mashrafe is happy with the availability of Taskin for the first two ODIs hoping the 21-year old will come up with good performance.
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Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan, Sabbir Rahman, Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Taskin Ahmed, Taijul Islam, Rubel Hossain. This news story is related to Print/152466-BD-guard-against-rust-in-Afghan-ODIs/ – breaking news, latest news, pakistan ne.
