The first match is crucial for Habibul Bashar's men in consideration of their bitter experience in the previous occasion when they unexpectedly lost the first game by two wickets and thus suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 series defeat in July-August last year.

But inclement weather may mar their hopes as according to team sources, rain might interrupt proceedings as Harare, the Zimbabwe capital, has been rather wet lately.

Though the series considered as a preparation for the coming World Cup, captain Habibul Bashar, who had a very successful last year with 18 wins in 28 matches, has already declared that they were looking forward to ride on their southern African opponents on their own den to complete their mission against the southern African nation.

The current form definitely speaks in favour of the Tigers, especially after their 5-0 thrashing at home in November last year following a massive 101-run victory in the ICC Champions Trophy in India but beating Zimbabwe on their own soil is a last frontier at the moment for Bashar's boys to show their hundred percent supremacy.

For leading paceman Mashrafee-bin-Mortuza it is more than just a series of one-day matches as he has another opportunity to erase the nightmare he suffered during the last trip.

The Narail Express's 17-run last over in the third game of the five-match series played a decisive role in his team 3-2 defeat.

On the other hand, it would be a totally different mission for Bangladesh vice-captain Shahriar Nafees because he has a very healthy record against the Zimbabweans.

The left-hander, who achieved a thousand runs in a calendar year as the first Bangladeshi batsman, struggled in the domestic circuit before timely making a hundred, scored all his three one-day hundreds against them.

If seaming all-rounder Mohammad Sharif plays the game then it would be a memorable comeback for him as he was out of the national team for the last five years following multiple groin injuries.

Bangladesh have named a 12-member squad for the game leaving out middle-order batsman Tushar Imran, opener Tamim Iqbal and paceman Tapash Baisya as the team think-tank wants to have a look at the overnight condition before deciding whether they will prefer a seamer.

It was learnt that there is a good chance for Sharif, who made his international debut in the country, as the condition would favour the seam bowlers and he has also the good ability to contribute with the bat in the late order. In that case veteran left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique will be sidelined.

SQUAD
Habibul Bashar (captain), Shahriar Nafees (vice-captain), Mehrab Hossain, Aftab Ahmed, Sakib Al Hasan, Mohammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper), Mashrafee Bin Mortaza, Mohammed Rafique, Abdur Razzak, Shahadat Hossain and Mohammad Sharif (12th man to be named).