'Look at ourselves, not at the stats'
A solitary win against 31 defeats -- a record that is heavily skewed against Bangladesh. However, to ace-all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, the numbers and the past don't matter. The stand-in captain for today's first ODI at Mirpur, exuded confidence ahead of the series opener against Pakistan.
"We have come here to win and that's what we will think about. If we tell ourselves that we have never won against them (Pakistan) and that's why we won't win, then I don't think it will be possible for us to win against anyone. So we have to change that… we haven't beaten them for 16 or how many years… what does that mean? Will we never win? If that is the thought process then Bangladesh's cricket will never progress," Shakib said acidly when reminded about the fact that the only time Bangladesh beat Pakistan was back in 1999.
"We are confident with the way we are performing. We are not trying to make Pakistan look like a small team here. I don't think this Pakistani side is inferior to the ones of the past. They have got world class bowlers. It's just that we have improved and we have several world class players of our own who can tackle them," he added.
The all-rounder also believed that winning the practice match would give the hosts a boost. "It's difficult to say how the defeat in the practice match will affect them. But the good thing is that we had a few national players over there and they can share the information with us. Their confidence levels will be good too… overall we are in a good mood," claimed Shakib.
The one aspect which Shakib and co can definitely learn about from his teammates who took part in the practice match is Saeed Ajmal's bowling. This is the first time that Ajmal will be taking part in the series since correcting his action. He bowled quite a few overs in that game at Fatullah, where the BCB XI won by one wicket.
Describing Ajmal as a key factor in the series, the left-hander hoped that the spinner finds it hard to settle down with his new action.
The last few years have seen the Tigers battle neck-and-neck with their South Asian neighbours, but they never managed to cross the final hurdle. Shakib recalled the close encounters between the two sides in 2012 and 2014.
"I thought we could have won both the matches in the 2012 Asia Cup… we also should have won the game in 2014. Those matches could have gone differently. Hopefully luck will side with us this time.
"I know that everyone is hungry for a win… especially in the first match. Everyone is hopeful," a confident Shakib said.