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DHAKA. — Zimbabwe cricket coach Heath Streak has said that his team remain the underdogs in the tri-series, which also involves hosts Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
The two-week tournament gets underway today with Zimbabwe facing hosts Bangladesh in the first match.
Zimbabwe are the lowest ranked team among the three in ODI cricket —they are placed 10th with 52 rating points. Sri Lanka are placed eighth with 84 rating points while Bangladesh are placed seventh with 92 rating points.
Streak, however, took confidence from Zimbabwe’s historic 3-2 series win in Sri Lanka in July last year. Zimbabwe have not played an ODI since, and need to shake off the rust quickly.
“I think we still have a long way to go,” Streak said. “We are the underdogs in this series. But I still feel that we have got the quality of players we need to take Zimbabwe cricket forward. We showed against Sri Lanka last year that we can compete against other countries outside our home territory. It was very pleasing but we have a long way to go as a team.
“(The Sri Lanka ODI series win) will give us the belief and the confidence to compete. We haven’t played a lot of one-day cricket of late. We have played more Tests while SL have played 13 ODIs since we last played them. We haven’t played any. We have prepared well and hopefully we can get into the series as quickly as possible and then get some good results early on. I feel we have the players with the skills, and give them Sri Lanka and Bangladesh a good challenge. I know our team is capable of winning.”
Streak, who was Bangladesh’s bowling coach when Chandika Hathurusingha was in charge of the side between 2014 and 2016, said he was looking forward to the challenge of facing his former team and colleague.
“These days a lot of coaches are part of a team and become opposition, he said. “I had a good relation with Chandika (Hathurusingha) and Khaled (Mahmud) Sujon, the technical director. I think it will be a good challenge for all of us.
“We know the conditions and players, so does Chandika (Hathurusingha). I think a lot of these Sri Lankan and Zimbabwean guys play in the BPL. There aren’t many secrets out there anymore. It is about coming up with good plans and technical advice for the teams and making sure you execute those skills well.”
Meanwhile, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe all have a point to prove when they battle each other in this tri-nation one-day cricket tournament in Dhaka from today.
The home nation, without a coach, are licking their wounds from a disastrous tour of South Africa. Sri Lanka have just had their worst year in international cricket. And Zimbabwe are on the edge after a thrashing by South Africa that blunted their run-up to a crucial World Cup qualifying tournament in March.
The event, staged at Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, is Bangladesh’s first home engagement in more than a year, and follows three heavy ODI defeats in South Africa in October.
Bangladesh have become a strong one-day team in recent times, notably reaching the Champions Trophy semi-finals last year. But they were brutally exposed by the Proteas, as defeats by 10 wickets, 104 runs and 200 runs highlighted how much further they have to go.
“This tri-nation tournament is really important for us. Everyone is upset after the South Africa tour. Now, if we can win this tournament, everything can be changed,” said skipper Mashrafe Mortaza.
The task has been made more difficult by the resignation of coach Chandika Hathurusingha, who chose to return to his native Sri Lanka. Hathurusingha makes his debut as Sri Lanka’s coach in this tournament.
The 49-year-old former batsman resigned in the middle of the South Africa tour, though the decision was only made public in December.
Former national captain Khaled Mahmud is in interim charge as team director, and the Bangladesh Cricket Board has yet to indicate when a permanent replacement will be named.
Hathurusingha travels to Bangladesh with his own problems, as his new team come out of a demoralising year.
Former World Cup winners Sri Lanka won only five of 29 one-day internationals in 2017.
The country’s cricket authorities changed captain twice in six months after influential all-rounder Angelo Mathews stepped down in July, highlighting the turmoil in the national game.
Mathews has been re-appointed as Sri Lanka’s limited overs captain ahead of 2019 World Cup, for which they were the final team to qualify.
Underdogs Zimbabwe, who face Bangladesh in the first game of the tri-nation competition today, are looking for a lift ahead of hosting a World Cup 2019 qualifying tournament in March.
Last month they lost a Test in South Africa by an innings and 120 runs inside two days of what was intended to be a historic four-day day-night test. The match lasted just 907 balls.
Zimbabwe will be boosted by the return of Brendan Taylor and Kyle Jarvis, who have not played one-day internationals since 2015 and 2013 respectively.
Coach Streak has indicated that Zimbabwe will devote more energy to one-day games, due to limited Test opportunities.
The three teams will play each other twice in the two-week tournament, which ends with a final on January 27.
TEAMS
ZIMBABWE
Graeme Cremer (capt), Hamilton Masakadza, Solomon Mire, Craig Ervine, Brendan Taylor, Sikandar Raza, Peter Moor, Malcolm Waller, Ryan Murray, Tendai Chisoro, Brandon Mavuta, Blessing Muzarabani, Christopher Mpofu, Tendai Chatara, Kyle Jarvis.
BANGLADESH
Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Anamul Haque, Mohammad Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim, Sabbir Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Mohammad Mithun, Mehedi Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Abul Hasan, Rubel Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, Sunzamul Islam.
SRI LANKA
Angelo Mathews (capt), Upul Tharanga, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Janith Perera, Thisara Perera, Asela Gunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Dushmantha Chameera, Shehan Madushanka, Akila Dananjaya, Lakshan Sandakan and Wanidu Hasaranga.— Cricinfo/AFP
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