A surface covered in grass is not something Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium is usually associated with in Test cricket. The outfield blending into a visibly green wicket has already drawn attention, and the preparation of a green-top pitch for the first Test against Pakistan is likely to add extra excitement to the contest.
Ahead of the opening Test starting on May 8, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, head coach Phil Simmons, and head of turf management Tony Hemming inspected the centre wicket on the eve of the series. From a distance, the discussions appeared focused on how the surface is expected to behave over the course of the match.
Bangladesh are returning to Test cricket after a six-month gap. Their last red-ball outing came against Ireland in Mirpur in November 2025. Since then, the team has been engaged primarily in white-ball assignments.
When asked whether the transition requires more of a mental or tactical adjustment, head coach Phil Simmons pointed towards the mental aspect.
“It’s more of a mental shift, but at the same time there are quite a few guys who haven’t played white-ball cricket and have been playing red-ball cricket and working with the red ball over the last couple of months. So I think it will be an easier shift than you think,” Simmons said.
For both sides, this will be their first Test of the year. Pakistan last played a Test series against South Africa at home in October 2025, a gap that left their captain Shaheen Shah Afridi acknowledging the challenge of readjustment.
“It is not easy, actually. Our last series against South Africa in Pakistan was a long time ago,” Shaheen said.
However, he stressed that Pakistan are ready for the challenge after a short preparation window. “As a team, we are ready. We had preparation time in Pakistan and now here for the last two to three days. We are looking forward to the challenge,” he added.
The conditions suggest pace could play a major role in the series opener, with both teams expected to field seam-heavy attacks. Pakistan have brought a five-man pace unit featuring Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Amad Butt, Khurram Shehzad, and Mohammad Abbas. Bangladesh are likely to choose from Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Nahid Rana, and Shoriful Islam.
When asked to compare the pace resources of both sides, Simmons avoided making a direct judgment.
“I don’t think one team is in better shape. I think we have two good fast bowling units going into this Test match. I also think we have two good spin bowling units going into the Test match. So it’s about who grabs and takes hold of the important moments,” he said.
Pakistan pacer Khurram Shehzad, fresh from a county stint with Derbyshire, could be an X-factor on a green surface. Shaheen also backed his seamers to make full use of the conditions.
“We have seam bowlers like Abbas and Khurram. On green tracks, seam bowlers are highly effective, especially since they have been playing county cricket. Seamers become crucial here. Our bowlers are ready for the challenge. Our goal is to figure out how to take 20 wickets and win the match for Pakistan,” Shaheen said.
Alongside the pacers, Pakistan’s spin duo Noman Ali and Sajid Khan are also in contention, with Noman likely to get preference in the playing XI. Bangladesh, meanwhile, will rely on Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, while Nayeem Hasan is unlikely to feature.
Selecting the XI remains a challenging task, Simmons admitted. “Yes, but challenging times mean you have to raise your game and understand what you need to do on better wickets,” he said.
With both sides likely to field pace-heavy combinations, the grass on the centre wicket is expected to be trimmed, though a green tinge will remain.
Simmons also urged his batting unit to rise to the challenge posed by Pakistan’s attack. “You want to be higher in the rankings, so you have to play against top-class bowlers. As a unit, we have to bat long and aim for big scores. Everybody is in that mindset now, which is a good thing,” he added.
Alongside the discussions around conditions and team combinations, there was also talk of recent history, with Bangladesh having swept Pakistan 2-0 in their last Test meeting on Pakistan soil.
However, Shaheen Shah Afridi made it clear Pakistan are not looking back at that defeat, with their focus now on bigger goals in the World Test Championship.
“The past is the past. Personally, I do not want to dwell on it. Our goal is to focus on the present and the future. We are preparing to win the championship, not just a single series.
As a team, we have big goals and we are ready,” Shaheen said.
Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons also struck a similar tone. “Whitewashing Pakistan is in the past. That is gone. We want to create new history in this series,” Simmons said.
