'Need to cover our bases'
After the Test series played in the daylight of Chattogram and Mirpur, the three ODIs between Bangladesh and West Indies starting from December 9 in Mirpur will be day-night affairs, and the difference between the level of competition could well be like night and day.
That much was obvious in the nine sixes that Shimron Hetmyer hit even as West Indies were in the process of being thoroughly outclassed in a spin-dominated Test series. Along with the presence of the supremely talented Hetmyer in the ODI squad, West Indies will also be bolstered by the arrival of players like T20I skipper Carlos Brathwaite, Marlon Samuels and the return of Darren Bravo -- all of whom have greater pedigree in the shorter formats.
Bravo, a veteran of 94 matches who last played an ODI for West Indies in October 2016, seems to have been brought into the 15-man squad named yesterday to add some experience in the absence of injured skipper Jason Holder.
One of their biggest hopes, pun half-intended, will however be on a player who has been here since the Test leg -- Shai Hope. The right-hander enjoyed success in India in late October -- hitting an unbeaten 123 and a 95 during a 3-1 loss in the five-ODI series. That they pushed the second-ranked India at home will give the side more confidence heading into a series with seventh-ranked Bangladesh.
"We obviously just got together -- some of the guys were playing in the T10 [Cricket League]in Dubai," Hope told reporters after practice in Mirpur yesterday. "But we've played a few games in India, so there is a nice gel in the team. It's just about getting the best possible preparation in this game [warm-up against BCBXI in BKSP] tomorrow, and leading up to the first game.
After Bangladeshi spin took all 40 West Indian wickets in the two Tests the tourists could be forgiven for expecting spin to dominate, but Hope said that West Indies were keeping an open mind.
"Everyone would expect the ball to spin a bit more here. But we have to wait to see how it plays on the day. We can expect spin and it may turn out to be completely different, so we need to cover our bases, ready for whatever they throw at us."
Like West Indies, Bangladesh had also lost the Test series in the West Indies 2-0 in the summer, but turned around to win the ODI series 2-1. The tourists seemed to be hoping for the symmetry to continue.
"Most definitely, any team we come up against we got to make sure we win the game," said Hope when asked whether there will be an element of revenge in the upcoming series. "We have to put our best foot forward and do the things we know and I'm sure we'll come up victorious if we do that."
Squad: Rovman Powell (Capt), Marlon Samuels, Devendra Bishoo, Roston Chase, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Shimron Hetmyer, Darren Bravo, Shai Hope, Carlos Brathwaite, Keemo Paul, Kieran Powell, Fabian Allen, Kemar Roach, Sunil Ambris, Oshane Thomas.