Qualifying for the main round of the 2016 World Twenty20 is in itself a challenge for Bangladesh. Despite being one of the in-form teams in the tournament, the Tigers have to go through a process which was determined two years ago.
Besides the obvious challenge of qualifying for the main round, the Tigers also have another hurdle awaiting them in that they will have to display their potential away from home.
In the last 15 months or so, Bangladesh have tasted regular success, winning against the cricketing giants both in ODIs and T20Is. However, with the exception of the three victories against Afghanistan, Scotland and England down under in the World Cup last year, the majority of the Tigers’ wins have come at their backyard, including the recently-concluded Asia Cup T20.
There is no doubt that Bangladesh have improved, at least in the limited-over formats, but their performance away from home is yet to reach a consistent level.
The World T20 in India will be the first instance of the Tigers embarking on an away tour since last year’s World Cup. Added to that, they are visiting India for the first time since the 2006 Champions Trophy.
The conditions in India hardly differ from what it is in Bangladesh but the venue where the Tigers will play their first-round opener, Dharamsala, is totally the opposite. The Tigers will have to acclimatise themselves with the freezing cold temperature, complemented by heavy showers. That the picturesque venue is 4000 feet above sea level will also have to be perfected by the Bangladesh cricketers.
Since their arrival, the Tigers have only been able to undergo one practice session at the Dharamsala international cricket stadium, also known as Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association. They familiarised themselves with the venue yesterday, having reached India only a day after the Asia Cup final.
“It is true that we have not been able to play a lot in India. But that cannot be an excuse, to be honest. A few of us have played in this country. We are looking forward and will try to give our best in the field,” said Bangladesh captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza.
“The condition of most of the venues in India is similar to what we have in our country. But this (Dharamsala) is different. We are feeling the difference. Breathing here is a problem and I think we need some time to cope with it. It is cold at night and we have to play two night games. I hope we will be able to adjust and start on a high [today],” the veteran paceman added.
The Tigers begin their campaign against the Netherlands today in Dharamsala before facing Ireland and Oman in their remaining first-round ties this Friday and Sunday respectively.