Sports Reporter :
Favourites Bangladesh will take on Zimbabwe in the first One Day International (ODI) cricket match at Harare Sports Club Ground in Harare of Zimbabwe today. The match starts at 1.30pm (Bangladesh Standard Time). Private satellite sports channel T Sports and private satellite channel GTV will telecast the match live.
Before today’s match, Bangladesh faced Zimbabwe in 75 ODI clashes. Of them, Bangladesh registered 47 wins, while Zimbabwe won 28 matches.
The touring side have a number of good and experienced batsmen. Dashing opener Tamim Iqbal will lead his side. It is a bad news for Bangladesh side as their dependable batsman Mushfiqur Rahim cannot take part in the three-match ODI series and also three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe due to personal reasons. However, Bangladesh have Mahmudullah Riyad, ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammad Mithun, all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz who performed well in their last ODI matches.
Bangladesh have good bowlers like pacers Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Rubel Hossain, Shoriful Islam and have spinners like Shakib Al Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman may miss the first ODI against Zimbabwe as he got injury in the one-day warm-up match against Zimbabwe on Wednesday last.
On the other hand, Zimbabwe have batsmen like Brendan Taylor and Regis Chakabva. Brendan Taylor, who is now in a consistent form, will lead Zimbabwe in the first ODI against Bangladesh. Zimbabwe have an advantage that they are playing in their home condition.
On the other hand, Harare Sports Club Ground is very much familiar field to Bangladesh cricketers.
Bangladesh squad : Tamim Iqbal (Captain), Naim Sheikh, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mosaddek Hossain, Mohammad Mithun, Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Rubel Hossain and Shoriful Islam.
