The Bangladesh Under-19 cricketers are fully prepared to face the South African challenge as the young Tigers left Dhaka today morning for a five-match youth one-day series starting from July 5. Although the U-19 World Cup will be held in Bangladesh next year, skipper Mehedy Hasan believes this tour will give them the opportunity to tinker with the playing combination while facing the current U-19 champions will also help them bag immense experience.
Earlier in April, Bangladesh hosted the Proteas youths for a five-match series where the home side thumped the visitors 4-1.
“The condition there will be totally different. The wickets will carry more bounce so we underwent decent practice sessions batting on granite slabs in order to be familiar with the extra bounce. We are confident, given that we have won the series when they last came to Bangladesh two months ago. We know the condition will be tough but I believe the team is well-prepared to take the challenge,” said Mehedy at a press conference yesterday.
Bangladesh coach Mizanur Rahman Babul also believes touring South Africa is a great opportunity for the young cricketers. “Most of these cricketers will represent the Bangladesh team someday so it is good for them to get experienced in the harsh cricket conditions like South Africa. The team is determined to perform well there and I have my confidence in them,” said Babul.
