DHAKA, May 7, 2026 (BSS) - Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has urged his colleagues to put on improved performances at home as his side begin a new ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle with a two-match series against Pakistan.

Bangladesh managed three wins in six away Tests in the previous WTC cycle but secured only one victory at home, which raised a concern about their performance at home ground.

Speaking at a press conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium today, Shanto said he wanted the team to turn home conditions into an advantage.

"As a captain, I want us to win most of our matches at home in this cycle," Shanto said. "As a batting unit, our biggest challenge is to perform well in the first innings. If we can do that consistently, this cycle can be much better for us."

Bangladesh's struggles with the bat at home were evident in the last WTC cycle. In six home Tests, they crossed the 300-run mark only once, scoring 310 against New Zealand. Eventually they won the Test by 150 runs for their only victory at home ground in the last cycle.

In the remaining matches, they failed to reach even 200 runs in an innings.

Shanto believes stronger first-innings totals will be crucial for success.

"If we can score more than 400 runs in the first innings, it will be very good for the team," he said. "Every batter has a different style of play and I do not want anyone to change that. The important thing is scoring runs. Whether we score 400 in 80 overs or in 120 overs does not matter."

Bangladesh's batting line-up now carries significantly more Test experience. Apart from uncapped or relatively new faces Tanzid Hasan and Amite Hasan, most members of the squad have already played at least 20 Test matches.

The Mirpur pitch for the opening Test against Pakistan is expected to offer balanced conditions for both batters and bowlers, unlike some of the more difficult surfaces seen in recent years.

Shanto believes that Bangladesh's batters would take advantage of improved wickets at home.

"As a batter, adapting to the conditions is the most important thing," he said. "Recently, especially in white-ball cricket in Mirpur, we have played on much better wickets than before. Hopefully, the batters will gradually become more confident playing here as well."

The first Test between Bangladesh and Pakistan begins tomorrow (Friday) at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, while the second and final Test will be played in Sylhet from May 16.