'Expecting a different Bangladesh'
The change in format has had a corresponding effect on South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis. It makes a huge difference that Bangladesh come into the three-ODI series starting in Kimberley today with a track record of being a dangerous team in the 50-over format. While the gulf was huge in the Test matches, as reflected in their respective rankings of second and ninth in Tests, the chasm is not as great in this format. Perhaps with that in mind, the rhetoric has been toned down by the aggressive Du Plessis.
"I think Bangladesh have proven in white-ball cricket that they can perform outside of their own country, just as recently as the Champions Trophy where they made the semifinals," said Du Plessis on the eve of the first ODI yesterday. "Their record in Test cricket away from home is completely different, but in white-ball cricket they have shown that they are a very dangerous side when it comes to one-day cricket. So, for us, obviously the Test-match victory was nice and we dominated them, but we are expecting a completely different challenge in the one-dayers."
Du Plessis was talking on the ground itself and not inside a media room, as had happened before the two Test matches – a function of there not being enough local media people who made the trek to the small town and also the reality that there are seemingly no designated media areas at the Diamond Oval. At any rate, it was a struggle just to be standing out there in gusty conditions as winds upwards of 37 kmph whipped the ground, and that is forecast to continue today.
"I think wind in general is not a nice thing for both teams. But you have to adapt to it. Especially from a strategic point of view, it's really important how you use the wind as a captain, also when you bat or bowl, how you use the wind to your advantage. I think that's going to be a crucial thing tomorrow if it's like this -- which team makes the best decisions with the wind in mind," said the South African skipper.
Even with greater expectations now than before the Tests, that Bangladesh are still underdogs was evident in Du Plessis saying that they have an eye to the future, and specifically the 2019 World Cup, during this and subsequent series. But for now, the focus is to continue the good work done in the last season.
"We want to prove a point when it comes to one-day cricket. Last year was a really good year for us, bar the Champions Trophy. There were a lot of good things we did, we got ourselves to number one in the world, are playing some good dominating cricket and are looking to do more or less the same this year."