The recently-appointed Bangladesh Twenty-20 International (T20I) captain Mahmudullah, on Saturday, said the series against India would be a good opportunity for the younger players to prove their worth. The first T20I of the three-match series would be played in Delhi on November 3.
Speaking to the reporters in the pre-match conference, “We are much more focused on playing tomorrow and trying to win the game. Probably it would be a proper opportunity for the younger guys to show up and stand up for the Bangladesh team.”
“I have full faith in our youngsters. I am sure they will give their best. When you play international cricket, the pressure is always there. I am happy Al-Amin has made a comeback into the side. I am hopeful of a good performance against India,” the Bangladesh skipper was quoted as saying by ANI.
On being asked about Shakib and how the team are dealing with it, he said, “We all know Shakib has been a great performer for Bangladesh. We know he did a mistake, but not a crime. We all are right now focussing on tomorrow’s game.
Speaking about the hazardous air quality in Delhi, Mahmudullah said that the players were trying to adapt to the condition. “When we first came here, there was a bit of smog. The players have practiced for the last three days and they are trying to adapt to the conditions. It is not within our control, we just need to focus on the game. Everyone is healthy,” the 33-year-old added.
Delhi and the other parts of the National Captial Region (NCR) have seen a rapid increase in air pollution after Diwali. The Air Quality Index (AQI) has been in the ‘severe category’ for the last few days with the pollution level hovering over 400. The PM 2.5 level has also spiked by nearly five times.
About the track of Feroz Shah Kotla, Mahmudullah believed it could suit the batsmen more than the bowlers. He stressed the onus would be on the batters to put up a big total on the board to give the bowlers a chance.
However, he was quick to mention that their batting would be needed some consistency. He added, “Putting up a big score every now and then so that we can give enough runs to the bowlers to prove themselves. We have a very good, experienced bowling side. It is an opportunity for us to show our performance on this tour.”
After the first T20I, India and Bangladesh will travel to Rajkot for the second match on November 7. The last and final T20I of the series will be played in Nagpur on 10th November.
The teams will then move to Indore for the first game of the two-Test series to be held between November 14 and 18. Following that, the focus would be shifted to Kolkata for the historic Day-Night Test from 22nd November.
India T20I Squad: Rohit Sharma(C), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant(WK), Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Chahar, Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Shivam Dube and Shardul Thakur.
Bangladesh T20I Squad: Mahmudullah (C), Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Naim, Mushfiqur Rahim, Atif Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain, Aminul Islam, Arafat Sunny, Al-Amin Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Shafiul Islam, Mohammad Mithun, Taijul Islam, Abu Hider Rony.