Tamim: We are well prepared

The Tigers will get one final chance to prepare themselves for the much awaited 2017 Champions Trophy when they face India in the second and final warm-up match at Kennington Oval on Tuesday. It has been nearly a month since Bangladesh set foot in England and according to opening batsman Tamim Iqbal, the men in red and green are all set for the tournament opener against host England, scheduled for Thursday. “I think we are very well prepared because we spent 10 days in Sussex for the training camp. Then, we had a good tri-nation series in Ireland. We also played practice games here in England. So I think everyone is well prepared and looking forward for [Tuesday's] match. The way we have been preparing ourselves, I am quite satisfied,” Tamim told the media on Monday. Despite posting a huge total of 341 runs, Bangladesh went on to lose their previous warm-up game against Pakistan by two wickets, owing to some poor catching. Tamim, who smashed a blistering hundred against Pakistan, said Bangladesh should have won that match and informed that it's important to correct their mistakes before the eight-team Champions Trophy gets underway. “Obviously, we were supposed to win. We should have won. What I always say is that we have to correct the small mistakes. If you commit such small mistakes, then you can lose a match, like we did last time around. So our goal will be to correct all those small mistakes,” he said. The Tigers will go up against a confident India, led by champion batsman Virat Kohli, and although the game will be followed by millions, Tamim said the result will take a backseat to the preparation of the two sides. “This match is nothing more than a warm-up match. I think they will treat this as preparation, and so will we. But both the teams will look to win when we go out to play. It's important for us to take the best out of it. Mashrafe [bin Mortaza] bhai has the goal to bowl his first six overs upfront and take a few wickets. The batsmen can score runs, which will boost our confidence,” said Tamim. Tamim has been in good form of late and stated that it's important for him, and the other in-form Tigers batsmen, to cash in when they get good starts. “When you get a start in such conditions, it gives you confidence. We have the responsibility to score big, if we can get the start upfront. So my aim will be to bat long and make it big as it's important in such conditions,” he added.