Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha believes his full-strength team is marginally ahead of an England side that is missing some key batsmen owing to the New Zealand Test series.
Both teams will play three ODIs starting from March 1 at the Shere Bangla National Stadium and then will engage in three T20Is from March 9.
Even as he praised England’s depth, calling it the “envy” of the rest of the world, he claimed he was confident in his own team’s ability in home conditions.
“We are playing full strength. I don’t think they have come with their full strength. Some of them are playing Test cricket. I back our skills and strength. Saying that, they have incredible strength in the last ten years or so,” Hathurusingha told reporters on the eve of the ODI series.
“England have one of the best pace attacks in the world. They have five fast bowlers and three spinners on this tour. The challenge will be to play their fast bowlers in this series. They have developed great depth in English cricket. They are the envy of every Test-playing nation. I am hoping that by the end of my tenure, we can leave something behind,” he added.
Hathurusingha, who is in the first week of his second term as Bangladesh coach, has also noticed that his players are taking on more duties.
“They have improved in terms of understanding their roles,” he said.
“Mainly I was impressed with how they take ownership of how they want to prepare. I am very pleased about it. Even the youngsters, you don’t need to guide them too much. They know how to prepare and know their various roles,” Hathurusingha said.
England Squad: Jason Roy, Dawid Malan, Philip Salt, James Vince, Jos Buttler(w/c), Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Reece Topley, Saqib Mahmood, Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed.
Bangladesh Squad: Tamim Iqbal(c), Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Mahmudullah, Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Ebadot Hossain and Towhid Hridoy. (ANI)
