Sports Desk: The preparation for Bangladesh ahead of the World Cup can get a boost from the New Zealand series, but it has been hampered by rain, leading to the abandonment of the first ODI.
As a result, the Tigers only bowled in the first match and had to wait until the next ODI to get a chance to bat. In the second ODI, they will take on New Zealand captained by Liton Das at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur.
The match is scheduled to start at 2:00 PM local time.
Both teams took a break on the day before the second match (Friday). However, discussions are ongoing about the condition of the Mirpur pitch, which has shown signs of being lifeless.
Before the World Cup, Bangladesh has witnessed a shift from batting-friendly pitches to ones that offer little assistance to batsmen in Mirpur. Both teams have commented on this matter after the abandonment of the first match.
Initially, Bangladesh coach Nick Pothas stated, “We are not rating the pitch. It has been raining for the last three weeks. The pitch has taken two hours of heavy rain.”
On the other hand, New Zealand skipper Lockie Ferguson also spoke about the pitch, saying, “I don’t know much about the pitch. As I said before, we are very focused on this series.”
In the second match of the series on Saturday, more attention will be on two Bangladeshi cricketers than ever before. Mahmudullah Riyadh and Soumya Sarkar are under consideration for the upcoming Indian World Cup squad, which is why their performance will be closely watched by the fans.