Camp in Australia will be crucial: Mashrafe

After having aced a number of challenges at home, the Bangladesh national cricket team will embark upon a new challenge from the end of this month when they begin their tour of New Zealand.

Bangladesh ODI and T20I skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza described the new challenge as difficult, but one that the Tigers were confident about.

“Two years ago we had targeted to win 80 per cent of our matches at home and by the grace of God we have managed to achieve that target. Now it's a different challenge to play outside home. Even established teams find it difficult to win away from home and from that aspect, it's a bigger challenge for us.

“In addition, the weather in New Zealand is very different from other places. It's going to be difficult. But we can take the momentum with us. We can take the good memories that we have into the tour of New Zealand. If we can do that, then that will give us confidence. Hopefully the practice session in Australia will give us more confidence,” explained Mashrafe during a press conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday morning.

Before going to New Zealand, the Tigers will be spending around two weeks in Australia in order to prepare for the series. A section of the national team left for Australia on Thursday, while another group including the likes of Mashrafe, Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riyad will leave today.

Mashrafe believes that Bangladesh's preparatory camp in Australia will be extremely useful for the national team.

“The entire national team will be living there together. We will live like a family and we will have the liberty to openly discuss our problems. It will make it easier to work. It has worked before.

“For example, the 15-day camp we had in Australia before the World Cup in 2015 helped us a lot. The camps we had in Khulna and Chittagong before the World T20 helped us overcome the first round of the ICC World Twenty20. That round was dangerous,” explained Mashrafe.

“In addition, we will be working on the technical details of how to bowl or bat in those conditions and also try to review the conditions over there. Honestly speaking I think all the three departments over there will be challenging. The wickets over there can offer 350 runs. We need to adjust to that.

“The biggest challenge will be to adjust to the wind. The faster we can adjust to all of this, the better. At home, even if we make a mistake, we are able to recover. I don't think we will get that opportunity over there,” he added.

Despite the difficulties, Mashrafe was confident that his team's new brand of cricket and different mindset would help them conquer the Kiwis.

“We are in a new situation. We have a different mindset now. We have the confidence to do well no matter where we play. At least that's what people expect. We will definitely try to win, but it will be difficult,” he said.