Tough conditions a test of skill, says Bashar

Players like Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal are proven and they have the experience. What we want to see is how the youngsters react since they are playing in such conditions for the first time.

— Bangladesh selector Habibul Bashar

Although the first of the three-match ODI series against Ireland was abandoned due to rain, a common feature of Bangladesh's stint in Chelmsford, the visitors want to take the challenge of weathering the tough English conditions over the next two games, selector Habibul Bashar informed yesterday.

The overcast conditions saw the Tigers undone as the Irish seamers found some early swing in the first ODI. The visitors were struggling on 122 for five after 27 overs, having lost openers Tamim Iqbal and Liton Das inside four overs.

Mushfiqur, who turned 36 on Tuesday, was the only Bangladeshi to score 50. Najmul Hossain Shanto showed a glimpse of his fine recent form but was dismissed after scoring 44 while Shakib Al Hasan paid the price for trying to play too aggressively and managed 21 runs.

With the next two games scheduled on May 12 and 14 respectively, rain could make things even more tough for the Tigers as they look to adjust to the challenging conditions. According to Bashar, it will be a great experience for the batters in the future if they can get used to seam-friendly conditions.

With the upcoming ICC World Cup scheduled in September this year, head coach Chandika Hatahurusingh and the team management will also look at the Ireland series as a way to have a look at a few areas.

"We are not taking this series as a stage to finalise players for the World Cup squad. We will be hosting Afghanistan next month and the Asia Cup is also expected to take place before the World Cup. But the tough conditions will certainly help our batters test their skills, which the players will want to take positively," Bashar told The Daily Star.

The team management is also looking forward to utilising Mehedi Hasan Miraz as a secod specialist all-rounder alongside Shakib. He was promoted up to No. 7 and the right-hander played some promising innings.

Mushfiqur added a valuable 65-run partnership with Miraz to give Bangladesh momentum later in the innings. However, Miraz also missed out on a big score and was caught after scoring 27 off 34 balls with four boundaries.

The former Bangladesh captain added that they would keep an eye on performances of the younger crop of cricketers in the team and whether they can make a mark and get into contention for the World Cup squad.

"Players like Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal are proven and they have the experience. What we want to see is how the youngsters react since they are playing in such conditions for the first time," he said.