With their Asia Cup prospects hanging by a thread, Bangladesh have already begun redirecting their attention towards the upcoming World Cup.
With the Tigers' chances of reaching the Asia Cup final dwindling after their defeat to Sri Lanka in the second Super Four match in Colombo last Saturday, Bangladesh's team management has already turned their attention to the upcoming home series against New Zealand. This series will serve as Tiger's last preparation before the World Cup.
Bangladesh want to rest key players before the World Cup
Ahead of the World Cup in India on October 5, Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan has publicly stated his plans to rest certain crucial players during the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand at home. He shared this decision during the post-match press conference last Saturday to minimize injury risks.
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With the Sri Lanka match behind them, the Bangladesh team is currently in a break mode, gearing up for their final Super Four showdown against India on September 15. Tiger's slim hopes of advancing in the Asia Cup rest on a host of uncertain factors falling into place.
Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan & BCB President all returned to Dhaka on Monday.
— Saif Ahmed 🇧🇩 (@saifahmed75) September 10, 2023
Shakib will return to Sri Lanka in a couple of days. Mushfiqur’s one is uncertain. #AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/wkn3KkA8GP
Both Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim have headed back home and are expected to link up with the team in Colombo on September 13.
“We know the exact reason of Mushfiqur [he returned to the country to be with his wife for the birth of their second child]. Shakib also took the break for personal reasons but we are not sure about those,” Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury revealed.
According to BCB selector Habibul Bashar, their primary task will be to ensure the players remain in optimal condition leading up to the World Cup.
“We are yet to discuss the New Zealand series. But we have to think about the workload of our pace bowlers. If we consider the hectic travel schedule of the World Cup, we must think about how we can keep some of our key players fresh ahead of the mega event,” the ex-Bangladesh captain said.
