Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed said they will give their best to ensure that they do not lose any of the remaining two games of their five-match Twenty20 International series against Zimbabwe at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium as they will take the field in the fourth match today.
The Tigers’ pacer said that winning against the visitors won’t bring any praise for them but if they suffer a defeat against a side who failed to qualify for the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup in West Indies and USA, it would surely throw them in troubled waters.
The match will start at 6:00pm and T Sports and GTV will televise the game live. The hosts have already bagged the series with three wins in the first three games.
‘There’s a lot of talk about Zimbabwe as an opponent, but if we lose against them, there will be a lot of other talk. We get less credit for winning against smaller teams,’ said Taskin on Thursday in Mirpur.
‘If we lose, they will mock us. Unfortunately, we have to hear a lot of things. When we get out to play, we try to give our best,’ he added.
The 29-year-old further revealed that with the marquee event in mind, scheduled to start on June 1, if they can improve five to 10 per cent from the ongoing series, then it would be a huge boost for them.
‘Our goals are World Cup-oriented. We have to give our best in all conditions. We don’t control what conditions we play in or against which opposition we play. If we can get into the World Cup with a 5 or 10 per cent improvement, we can then start well in that tournament,’ he said.
However, there have been talks in the country’s cricketing fraternity that playing Zimbabwe - who were defeated by Namibia and Uganda in the ICC World Cup Qualifier of the Africa region – would provide them with false confidence in the World Cup.
However, Taskin brushed those concerns away.Â
‘It is not fake confidence. Playing well always boosts confidence. We are not aware of US conditions; we probably play on drop-in pitches,’ he said.
‘We have to adapt in a new way. It is good that we are going to play the USA in three T20Is. It will give us some time for early adjustment. We can’t change conditions in Bangladesh, but more sporting wickets may have been better.’
The right-handed pacer also feels that the inclusion of Mustafizur Rahman, who is fresh from the Indian Premier League, will add huge value not only in the series but also in the World Cup.Â
‘Mustafiz did well in the IPL. He got a lot of experience from it. He was brought back to essentially know our team’s planning and culture. He will get a bit of rest, too. He is one of our main bowlers. If we remain fresh and bowl in good rhythm, our bowlers will do well in the World Cup,’ Taskin explained.