Junior Tigers eye World Cup glory

Bangladesh Under-19 skipper Azizul Hakim Tamim believes his side's prior experience in Zimbabwe will give them an edge in the upcoming ICC U-19 World Cup as he sets his sights on lifting the trophy.

The junior Tigers will depart for Zimbabwe on Sunday night for the 16th edition of the tournament, which begins on January 15. Although Namibia are co-hosts, Bangladesh will play all their Group A matches in Zimbabwe.

The 15-member squad has been playing together for the past two years, including a tour of Zimbabwe for a tri-series involving South Africa in July last year, where they emerged champions – a confidence-boosting experience ahead of the global event.

Despite failing to reach the final of the recent ACC U-19 Asia Cup in the UAE -- a tournament they had won in the previous two editions -- Tamim said his side is "mentally and physically confident" for the challenge, following the official photo session at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Saturday.

"We've played in Zimbabwe before, so we understand the conditions. We've also prepared over the last few days…Inshallah, we are going there with the target of becoming champions," Tamim said.

In a tough Group A, Bangladesh will open their campaign on January 17 in Bulawayo against a strong Indian side featuring highly rated players such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi.

However, Tamim remains unfazed at the prospect of facing such big names, saying they have done their homework on their opponents and insisting that their "focus remains on teamwork."

The junior Tigers will then face New Zealand on January 20 in Bulawayo and the USA on January 23 in Harare in their remaining group matches.

Bangladesh also appear guarded, as vice-captain Zawad Abrar, who had a stellar Asia Cup campaign, remained adamant about "not repeating the mistakes" from the tournament that saw them exit in the semifinals after a defeat against eventual champions Pakistan.
Bangladesh, champions of the 2020 edition in South Africa, will play two warm-up matches against Pakistan and Scotland before the tournament.

The competition will then move into the Super Six stage, where the top three teams from each of the four groups will be split into two groups. The knockout phase will follow, with the final scheduled to be held on February 6 in Harare.