T20 series first step in journey towards 2024 WC

GBNEWS24DESK//

England were looking forward to a challenge but for newly-arrived Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, it will be the first step on a journey to the 2024 World Cup in the West Indies and USA.

Bangladesh will take on England in the first of the three-match T20I series at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram today after the three-match ODI series ended 2-1 in the visitors’ favour. The series will move to Dhaka for the second and third T20Is.

While the Tigers have played five bilateral ODI series against the current world champions, the T20I series will be the first series between the two nations in the shortest format.

It will also be the first series both teams will feature in since the T20 World Cup last year in Australia. Overall, it will only be the second meeting between the sides in the T20I format.

Hathurusingha came to the press conference yesterday, although T20I skipper Shakib Al Hasan was expected. With the practice session preceding the press conference being the first official T20I practice session for the Sri Lankan coach, he felt some of the personnel was still new to him.

“I have only seen the T20 team today [Wednesday]. It is just the start of a journey to the 2024 World Cup. A lot of water will go under the bridge between now and then. This is again an observation to see what we have, what areas the players can improve on, and play to our strengths,” Hathurusingha said yesterday.

There are a few newcomers in the Bangladesh squad. Towhid Hridoy and Tanvir Islam impressed selectors with their BPL performances this season. Hridoy struck over 400 runs and finished as the third-highest run-getter in the tournament while Tanvir bagged 17 wickets.

Rony Talukdar too was rewarded for his BPL performances. He has been away from the national set-up for eight years, having played a sole T20I in 2015, that too batting at No. 7.

Shamim Hossain is another inclusion. He last played in November 2021, before being dropped.

Apart from getting a feel for the talent in the side, the series for Hathurusingha will be about shedding light on the gap between England and the Bangladesh side.

“I look forward to seeing them in match situations. I am impressed with what I have seen in the nets,” Hathurusingha said of the new faces.