‘Home conditions don’t mean we will be playing on bad wickets’

Bangladesh ODI captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz said the team needs to play as many matches as possible on true wickets in the lead-up to the World Cup.

Bangladesh’s ODI results have not gone their way in recent times, with the side losing four of their last five series alongside disappointing performances in the Champions Trophy last year. Miraz believes the team must strike a balance between playing on true surfaces and ensuring direct qualification for the World Cup.

Wickets in Mirpur have often been a major talking point during home series. In the last ODI series, a black-soil pitch created difficulties for visiting teams and drew attention from the global cricket audience.

March 31, 2027 has been set as the cut-off date for direct qualification to the World Cup, which will be hosted by South Africa and Zimbabwe. The top eight ranked Full Members by that date will secure automatic qualification.

“In World Cups, wickets are very good and we want to start that habit from now on. We have a lot of matches before the 2027 World Cup and if we can play the maximum number of matches on true wickets, it will be a good experience for us. At the same time, you also have to keep in mind that we need to qualify. So against the teams we will be playing, we will be trying to take home advantage,” Miraz said at a press conference in Mirpur on Tuesday, a day before the first ODI against Pakistan.

However, while trying to utilise home advantage, Miraz said the team does not want to play on surfaces that have been questioned in recent years when the Tigers play at home. The wickets in the last ODI series against West Indies were not particularly batting-friendly and offered considerable turn.

“The thing is that in trying to play in home conditions, we will not be playing on bad wickets. We will still try to play on good wickets but try to get home advantage,” he said.

Miraz also said Bangladesh will not take Pakistan lightly despite the visitors bringing a squad that includes six uncapped players.

“You can’t take a team lightly since in international cricket, all teams are good. They have young players but obviously they performed which is why they are in the team. Since we will have advantage at home and we know about ourselves very well, we are clear in our plans. I think everyone will take on responsibility and obviously we do respect them [Pakistan],” he concluded.