Miraz aims to end Tigers’ Caribbean curse in 50th Test

Bangladesh captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz is eager to turn around his team's poor performances in the Caribbean as they take on the West Indies in the first of two Tests in Antigua today.

Bangladesh's Test record against the West Indies stands at four wins in 20 encounters, with just two victories on Caribbean soil -- both in 2009. Since then, they have lost six matches across three tours, including heavy defeats and their lowest-ever Test total of 43 in Antigua in 2018.

 "Our target is to, obviously, play good cricket. When we played here last time, we could not perform well… Our target is to win and see everyone perform," Miraz reflected on the team's past struggles, in the pre-match press conference.

Adding to their challenges, nine players in Bangladesh's current squad have never played in the West Indies, and no Bangladeshi batter has scored a century there since Mushfiqur Rahim in 2014.

While the Tigers are missing senior players Mushfiqur and Shakib Al Hasan, Miraz admits the challenge. "We may be missing senior players, but in this team, we have experienced players like Mominul Haque, Liton Das, and me. And there are young players coming up, so I believe we can play better and come back strongly."

Leading the side in his 50th Test, Miraz acknowledged the milestone. "Alhamdulillah, it's a really good feeling. Playing 50 Tests for the country is a big achievement. Hopefully, I'll be able to mark the milestone with a memorable performance."