Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed insisted that the Bangladesh team will leave no stone unturned to make their first Test tour to Australia in 23 years a memorable one.
He said the team is determined to give their best as a unit in the upcoming two-match Test series, despite knowing that the condition will pose a different challenge.
“It is a very proud moment for all our cricketers to play Test cricket on Australian soil and against Australia. The series will definitely not be easy for us, but we are hopeful of giving our best,” Taskin told reporters in Darwin on Monday.
The tall fast bowler also savours the opportunity to play his first Test match on Australian soil, saying the upcoming series against Australia as a proud moment for the team.
Taskin has played in Australia before, featuring in the 2012 Youth World Cup, the 2015 ODI World Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup. But the two-Test series against Australia will mark his first appearance in a Test on Australian soil.
“It is truly an honour to be here to play a Test series against Australia. There is no doubt that Australia are one of the best teams in the world,” he added.
Bangladesh will begin the two-Test series in Darwin on August 13, with the second Test scheduled in Mackay from August 22.
The tourists' preparations suffered a setback when Cricket Australia XI beat them by an innings margin in their warm-up match in which they were bowled out for just 54 in their second innings.
Taskin, however, said the defeat would not affect the team's preparations.
“The feeling of losing was certainly not pleasant. But that can happen in cricket. We are still trying to quickly adapt to the conditions and wickets here. Even though the match was lost, it was good preparation,” he said.
Bangladesh have played six Tests against Australia, winning only once, a memorable victory in Mirpur in 2017. They lost the other five, including both Tests in their previous tour of Australia in 2003.
Taskin’s side can nevertheless draw confidence from their most recent meeting with Australia, when they won a three-match series 2-1 in Mirpur in June.
The pacer believes that victory can provide the team with additional confidence, although he stressed that conditions in Australia will present a different challenge.
“We all played a great series together and won against Australia, which gives us extra confidence to play against them. However, there is a big difference between home and away conditions. Let's see what happens this time,” he said.