DHAKA, Aug 1, 2021 (BSS)—Since they don’t get the chance to play against Australia more often in any format of cricket, Bangladesh want to grab the opportunity with both hands by doing well in the upcoming five-match T20 series, which kicks off on August 3.

Bangladesh played just four T20 matches against Australia, last of which was in 2016. These were the fewest matches they played against any Test nation. However the Tigers conceded defeat in all four matches.

All of the matches of the series will be held in Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium as Australia don’t want to move much, considering the surge of Covid-19 cases in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo said, the series is an opportunity for them to do well against Australia as well as to find out a right combination for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Dubai and Oman.

“Trying to find out our best combination and playing against Australia will give us that opportunity. There are two ways to look at it,” Domingo said during a virtual press conference today.

“Trying to find out our best combination and keep developing some of the younger players. Secondly Bangladesh don’t play Australia too often so this is a big series for us and we are really determined to do well in it.”

When generally Bangladesh wicket suits the spinners much and the country also always plays to their strength in the home conditions, this time they won’t use the wicket to their strength, Domingo informed.

He said considering the T20 World Cup, they want to play on good wickets rather than giving their spinners much advantage.

“I think we are going to play on a good wicket and there is no doubt that conditions here suit us more than we play away from home and there is no doubt about that. You have to be able to play T20 cricket on a good wicket because that is what you are going to face when we play in the World Cup and away from home and I am pretty sure we are going to get a good wicket for the series,” he said.

Australia are without their several first choice players, who skipped both Bangladesh and preceding West Indies series. But still Bangladesh are not considered favourites given their record in T20 cricket.

Bangladesh played 102 T20 matches, amongst which they won just 34 and lost 66 matches while two other games fetched no result.

But Domingo differed with the fact, saying that the media often projected Bangladesh’s T20 team as vulnerable.

“It’s very frustrating continuously reading about the negative articles about Bangladesh cricket team and why you guys say it’s not a very good T20 team is beyond me. I think we have got wonderful players and I am sure there is room for improvement but I think we have got the ingredients to be a good T20 team,” he said.

“I know we don’t have the physical attributes like the West Indies team like powerful men but we have got some skilled batsmen in our side. I am pleading to the media to be a bit more positive about the team because there are always negative comments and that is draining sometimes. I disagree with you totally and I don’t think we are a bad T20 team at all and think we got some wonderful T20 players and if backed and supported and be more positive about them they can be forced to reckon with.”

Domingo however is confident to do well in the series, despite the fact that Australia are bolstered with two finest bowlers of the world in Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

The Bangladesh’s South African born coach said at the end Starc and Hazlewood are human beings and they would deliver some bad balls also.

“Mitchell Starc and Hazlewood are quality bowlers and we have looked at some of their footage but at the end of the day you will play the ball not the man. End of the day they are humans and will bowl some bad balls. We got to play with a clear mind and absolute clarity that we have got to put away the bad balls. We know they are quality bowlers but at the end of the day you got to play the ball not the man,” he opined.