Bangladesh's away series in New Zealand was supposed to be the barometer by which to gauge the team's strengths and weaknesses ahead of the World Cup in May. The pitches and conditions in England will be somewhat similar to the ones that Bangladesh faced in New Zealand and after the 3-0 humbling by the Kiwis, the top border turned out to be one of the problem areas that the team management will have to focus on. Left-handed batsman Soumya Sarkar was of the opinion that the level of cricket the team are currently playing is inadequate.

He asserted that 'planning [for the World Cup] is different for everyone' but reiterated that 'there is something lacking in the cricket we are playing now.' While the team did not have the best of preparations for New Zealand -- where the team travelled to immediately after playing the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) -- many feel that the Dhaka Premier League will also not provide the challenge that the players need to excel.

Soumya said that spending some time out in the middle will help him work on the details that need focus. "Now that I am back to playing domestic cricket, the target is to bat for long periods. It's not about how many deliveries I face or how much I bowl. It's important to understand the team's scenario and play accordingly."

Bangladesh have not been able to adjust to match situations, a problem that has often shown up on the biggest stages. Soumya said that his emphasis would be on learning how to come up with plans according to the demands of the moment. "Match preparation is really important to me. There will have to be a much more of the planning phases while at the wicket.

"I am getting out for 30s or 40s and I have fallen to similar shots in the first few matches. So, I have to be able to develop plans, not from outside but while I am at the crease, so that I can change my strategies to get through those situations easily. It is important to learn while at the wicket," he concluded.