Shanto Wants Bangladesh to Prove Worth for Future Australia Test Tours

Bangla Press Desk:  Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto believes a competitive showing in the upcoming two-Test series against Australia could open the door to more Test tours Down Under in the future.

The Tigers are set to play their first Test series in Australia in 23 years, with the team leaving on Friday ahead of a three-day warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI.

The first Test begins in Darwin on 13 August before the second gets underway in Mackay on 22 August.

"I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to play Test cricket in Australia against them. We should have played more matches there over the last 23 years. If we had played better cricket, perhaps we would have had more opportunities," Shanto told reporters at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

The Bangladesh skipper said that his side wants to earn Australia's respect by producing competitive cricket rather than becoming overly focused on the result.

"Our main goal is to play good cricket there and earn respect. If we can play competitive cricket, they'll definitely invite us again in future. We play every match to win, but what's important is how much of a tough time we can give them," he said.

Bangladesh's preparations have been hampered by rain, leaving the team with limited practice before departure.

Shanto admitted that they are still trying to understand the conditions awaiting them in Darwin and Mackay.

"We don't have a very clear idea yet, but we're trying to gather information. Our analyst has provided some details. Because of the rain, we couldn't prepare properly in Bangladesh. We did whatever we could, including practising against the bowling machine on granite surfaces," he noted.

Despite the challenges, Shanto insisted that Bangladesh would stick to the approach that has brought progress in Test cricket over the last few years.

"We've been playing good Test cricket over the last few years and we'll try to continue in the same way. The conditions will be different, so we have to adapt as quickly as possible. We don't want to go backwards from where we are. We want to keep improving," he concluded.