'Don't mess with a tiger in its den'
Despite a poor run this year, Zimbabwe coach Stephen Mangongo knows how dangerous the Tigers can be in their own den. The visiting team's coach was talking with reporters at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium yesterday and said it is always hard to beat the Tigers on their home turf.
Mangongo also responded humorously when asked why one should not mess with the Tigers in their own territory.
"Giving a prediction is very tough as Bangladesh is a very difficult team to beat at home," he said when asked to predict the outcome of the series.
"I hope that the better team will be able to win those three Test matches. We respect Bangladesh as they play tough cricket at home. They are called Tigers. If you mess around with a tiger it may just kill you. So you have to respect a tiger, especially in its own forest," he joked.
Mangongo however was also confident with his young team and said that they had a balanced side and were well-prepared to face the challenges in the series.
Everybody will be looking forward to seeing whether the three Masakadza brothers -- Hamilton, Shingi and Wellington -- play together in a Test match, but the Zimbabwe coach was not sure of it.
"It is good that the Masakadzas have created a piece of history by being in the squad. They still have to work very hard and Hamilton is one of the key players, so he will be in the team, but I am not sure if the other two will make it. We will see after the final two days of training, but it is very interesting," he said.
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