'My target is to win as many as possible'

It will be interesting to see how the Bangladesh team approach the upcoming Nidahas Trophy under new interim coach Courtney Walsh after a disappointing home series against Sri Lanka where the Tigers were beaten in all three formats.

The Tigers will depart for Sri Lanka today to play the tri-nation T20I series that also involves India and the hosts.

Chaos had reigned during their previous series against Sri Lanka, from the team selection to providing specific plans, and it was exacerbated due to a communication gap under technical director Khaled Mahmud.

However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has this time realised the need for a coach who can guide the ship with a clear plan, with Mahmud returning to his previous duties as team manager. His replacement, Walsh, informed that things would be different this time around and urged the players and board officials for support.

"Everything happened in a rush the last time [during the Sri Lanka series]. It is different now since there is someone who is responsible for organising and ensuring things are done properly. I will try to have dialogues with all the relevant parties about what is required. I think it is good for someone to be able to hold their hand up and say yes or no to what's happening," Walsh told reporters after the Tigers' final training session at the Sher-e-Bangla National stadium in Mirpur yesterday.

"I am excited to be in that position. I am sure I will get the full support of the BCB, president, directors, senior players and even the junior players. Once everybody comes to the table and we work together, it will be good to start planning how we go from here," added the legendary Jamaican.

The message from the interim coach, who added that he wants the players to be proud of representing Bangladesh, is clear; forget what happened in the past, enjoy the game without taking any added pressure and do things with a purpose.

There will be a change to the planning as regular skipper Shakib Al Hasan was ruled out of the series yesterday, but Walsh urged the others to step up.

"Everybody has to step up to the plate. Shakib is still getting treatment so we are not sure when he might be available. We have to plan at the moment without him. I don't want to divulge too much of the plans. We are going to have to do things a bit differently in his absence. He is a hard player to replace overnight. He does everything -- bat, bowl, field and captain. As soon as he is well enough to play, we will have to get him there," Walsh added.

The 55-year-old pulled no punches, saying that Bangladesh would be underdogs in the series, which starts on March 6 before the Tigers' first game against India on March 8.

"There will be specific targets; what we want to achieve and how we will go about doing it. We have started the discussions already. We will fine-tune that once everybody arrives in Sri Lanka.

"My target will be to win as many games as possible on this tour. I am very hopeful that we can do so. It will be nice to get into the final. We are taking it a game at a time at this point," Walsh said.

The legendary fast bowler, who conducted a special camp with the pacers ahead of the series, said that the team would rely on fast bowlers such as Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain and Taskin Ahmed in the absence of Shakib in the spin department.