Najmul Hossain Shanto spoke with reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium ahead of the Test series against Zimbabwe. The Bangladeshi skipper felt it would have been better if a couple of extra days were available for them to prepare for the series, as the players were set to return for the longest format after a long time.
"The players are returning to Test cricket after quite some time. I do feel that having two or three extra days for preparation would have benefitted us," Najmul said. A question was asked about the fixture between Abahani Limited and Mohammedan Sporting Club in the DPL. He claimed it to be a highly important game for both teams.
The Abahani Limited confirmed that the players who got selected for the Test series were tuning in for the longest format of the game. However, Najmul agreed that both DPL's arch-rivalry match and the Test series against Zimbabwe were important for him.
"There's always a lot of expectation around this fixture (Abahani and MSC) and it's definitely a very important game, but the players selected for the national team are already mentally tuning themselves to how they want to approach the Test series," Najmul added.
"If you look at both aspects - the DPL derby and the Test series - both are equally important," the star player felt. He then claimed the players were preparing for both tournaments equally and hoped to win both matches. "The players are handling both well and preparing accordingly, and I'm hopeful that the time we'll get in Sylhet will be sufficient for final preparations," Shanto claimed.
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"Whether it's Zimbabwe, Australia, or South Africa - every match should be seen as an international match" - Najmul Hossain Shanto
The Bangladesh star showed no complacency as he regarded all teams like Zimbabwe, Australia, and South Africa as tough challenges. He felt a Test series between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe could help the growth of the longest format of the game in his country.
"Whether it's Zimbabwe, Australia, or South Africa - every match should be seen as an international match. That's how our Test cricket will continue to grow. There are always challenges in international cricket, and this series will be no different," Najmul said.
He felt Bangladesh's performance in red ball cricket had improved in the last few years. Najmul said Bangladesh won 4 Tests in 2024 and had a good chance to improve it in 2025, where they will be playing 6 Tests. He claimed Bangladesh's focus to be on building on the momentum.
"It's not about facing a big team or a small team. What matters is how well we play. If you look at last year, our performance in Test cricket improved - we won four matches. This year we have six more Tests ahead, and our focus is on building on that progress," the star player added.
Najmul concluded by confirming neither he nor his teammates were taking Zimbabwe lightly. "The mindset and pressure we have when facing top teams will be the same here (against Zimbabwe), and no team is small. I've said this repeatedly, and our players aren't thinking in those terms either," Najmul concluded.
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