Tigers leave for New Zealand
Bangladesh cricket team left Dhaka yesterday for New Zealand on their first assignment under new coach Jamie Siddons, knowing they will miss this month's Victory Day and Eidul Azha celebrations.
The Tigers, who played only two Test matches in their first tour to New Zealand in 2001, will this time play three one-day internationals and two Tests besides some warm-up games and an exhibition Twenty20 match to raise funds for the victims of Cyclone Sidr.
The team will go into the new calendar year soon after completion of the one-day series as the final match is scheduled for December 31, followed by games on December 26 and 28.
The first Test will start on January 4 and the second on 12.
Although the Black Caps have proved to be a difficult opposition at home even for the top teams of the cricket world, Mohammad Ashraful believed they have the capability to upset New Zealand in the one-day series if the Tigers' batting clicked.
The Bangladesh captain felt that they needed to do something special early on the tour to make an impact in the Tests.
"Our bowling is good and if the batsmen put some runs on the board, it would be an interesting series," skipper Ashraful told at the Zia International Airport before their departure.
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