I believe: Brendan Taylor

starts tomorrow, and also suggested that conditions in Harare would suit the hosts.
“It is great that we are coming back to play Tests and as we go into our first match the good thing is that our opponents don’t quite know what to expect from us and we have a few surprises for them,” said Taylor.
National selector Alistair Campbell said Zimbabwe’s preparations for their return to Test cricket will stand them in good stead, but admitted that mental strength remained the team’s greatest challenge.
“Obviously there will be nerves flying around on our side because everyone will be watching how we are going to perform,” Campbell said.
“But the players realise the expectations and they would need to give a good account of themselves.
“Of course, there is going to be pressure on the boys as they may push too hard to impress.
“But in any professional sport you need to apply the mental strength and be able to play under pressure. In our case we have to improve on that part. I believe the more we play at the highest level the more we will be able to improve.”
Zimbabwe have played 33 ODIs against Bangladesh since their Test suspension – including 14 in 2009 alone – with Bangladesh having dominated those games, winning 24 of them.
Mohammad Ashraful is the only member of Bangladesh’s squad to have played a Test against Zimbabwe, however, a situation Taylor is hoping work out in his team’s favour.
“They have been playing over the years and they have always been improving, so have we behind the scenes,” he said.
“They know an awful lot about us in the one-day format of the game but they may not have the information they would have wanted as far as Test cricket is concerned, and we are looking to make good use of that.”
Despite Bangladesh’s supremacy over Zimbabwe in recent times, Taylor insisted there was little to separate the teams going into the Test, saying:
“We will take each session as it comes and play positively with a winning mindset. We know they will be up for it and so will we and we are confident that if we play our best cricket this is a winnable match.
‘They are a strong side especially when they are playing at home, but we are at home where we will make sure we put our conditions to good use.
“We should just make sure they are not as comfortable as they would want to be. We have a plan and if we stick to it we should win.”
Zimbabwe will also be bolstered by the return of wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu, one of their most experienced players and one of only two current Zimbabwe cricketers to have recorded a Test century. Taibu has not quite fully recovered from the thumb injury that kept him out of cricket since the World Cup earlier this year, but said he was fit enough to play in both the Test and the limited-overs series that follows.
“It’s not fully healed but it is comfortable enough for me to play in the Test match and the ODIs as well,” said Taibu.
“It is a very important match and we will need all the resources we can get.”
The Zimbabweans have sought to test themselves against A sides from South Africa and Australia.
Campbell said Zimbabwe needed more exposure in order to develop as a team. He stressed, however, that there was no question of Zimbabwe’s readiness to face Bangladesh.
“We are really excited that we have more commitments coming up in the next two to three months.
Facing opposition that includes players like Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus should help raise our confidence,” said Campbell. – Cricinfo.