Weary Tigers fall to Zimbabwe A

A jaded Bangladesh team suffered a seven-wicket defeat to the Zimbabwe A team in the lone warm-up game on Friday before the five-match ODI series which kicks off tomorrow at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
Middle-order batsman Rokibul Hasan slammed a half-century (55) while vice-captain Mushfiqur Rahim added 33 after the visitors decided to bat first but their efforts were not good enough to put up a descent total on the board as the Tigers were bundled out for 180 in 49.3 overs at the Bulawayo Athletic Club.
After an early hiccup, Forster Mutizwa and captain Tatenda Taibu fashioned the home side's easy victory as Zimbabwe A coasted to the victory target of 181 in 38.1 overs for the loss of only three wickets.
Mutizwa smashed unbeaten 78 while former Zimbabwe skipper and wicketkeeper Taibu, who has been banned for ten matches after an internal Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) hearing found him guilty of an offence, contributed with an unbeaten 66.
Pacer Nazmul Hossain caused the early damage by taking two wickets while Syed Rasel picked up one wicket.
Pacers Rubel Hossain and Mahbubul Alam and left-handed batsman Mehrab Hossain were left out of the lone practice game.
Buoyed by their historic success in West Indies, Shakib Al Hasan's men reached Bulawayo on Thursday after a gruelling 40 hours journey via London, Dubai, Johannesburg and Harare with a mission to carry on their good form despite their five-wicket loss to West Indies in the T20 match in the last match in the Caribbean.
It was however a tough task for the Tigers to come out in the field a day after such an exhausting journey. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) however had somehow settled on such a hectic schedule.
"Yes, it was really a tough task for the boys to come out in the field after such a gruelling travel and that might have affected in their batting. The people concerned should have looked at the schedule. It's inhuman to play cricket the very next day after journeying over 40 hours," said BCB's media committee chairman Jalal Yunus when asked about the schedule.
It was learnt that the players had also faced problem with their kits as the luggage was displaced in the Johannesburg airport and that's why it did not reach on time in Zimbabwe. They received their luggage just before the start of the practice match.
When asked, Jalal Yunus admitted the incident. "Yes, we have informed that the kits did not arrive on time," he said.

SCORES IN BRIEF
BANGLADESH: 180 all out in 49.3 overs (Rokibul Hassan 55, Mushfiqur Rahim 32, Nayeem Islam 17; Admire Manyumwa 3 wkts, Chamu Chibhabha 2 wkts)
ZIMBABWE A: 181 for 3 in 38.1 overs (Forster Mutizwa 78 not out, Tatenda Taibu 66 not out; Nazmul 2 wkts, Rasel 1 wkt)
RESULT: Zimbabwe A won by seven wickets.

FIXTURE
August 9: 1st ODI at Bulawayo
August 11: 2nd ODI at Bulawayo
August 14: 3rd ODI at Bulawayo
August 16: 4th ODI at Bulawayo
August 18: 5th ODI at Bulawayo