'Tigers are powerful'
'Tigers are powerful'
Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor has said that his side will not pay any heed to Bangladesh's poor run in international cricket in 2014 as they expect the Tigers to put up their best show at home.
Bangladesh have lost three out of the four Tests and 12 of the 13 ODIs they played this year. Zimbabwe, in comparison, have had a better year with ODI wins over Afghanistan and Australia.
"I don't think we are worrying too much about their past form. We know how powerful they can be in Bangladesh. They always have a good record at home; especially in one-day cricket. Hopefully in the Test matches we can put some pressure on them," said Taylor at the Sonargaon Hotel yesterday.
"Our team's target is to win away from home. We have struggled to do that in the past. It's nice to finally play away from home. But what lies ahead of us is a big challenge. We know how threatening Bangladesh can be at home and they have got some wonderful players," he added.
The last time Zimbabwe played a Test series in Bangladesh was back in 2005. The series was historic for Bangladesh as the hosts won their first Test match in that series.
Taylor, who was a member of the squad that toured Bangladesh in that series, recalled the defeat.
"Yeah it's a tough one. I remember losing the first Test in Chittagong. I think Enamul [Haque] bowled really well, picked up 10 wickets and made it really difficult for us. We came back strong in the Dhaka Test and could draw that.
"I think they have lost a lot of their players but they have produced a lot of younger players that have come through the ranks as well."
Zimbabwe will begin the tour with a three-day practice match, which begins at Fatullah today, against a BCB XI. The first Test will begin on October 25 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka.