Bangladesh ODI captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz on Tuesday said his team is ready to embrace true wickets at home as they gear up for the three-match ODI series against Pakistan, starting Wednesday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.
Bangladesh faced criticism last October when they hosted West Indies, as spin-friendly pitches dominated home conditions. Miraz, however, assured that the extreme conditions used then will not be repeated, as the team prepares for the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
“We will definitely play on true wickets,” Miraz said on the eve of the series. “What we did in the West Indies series is something every team does at home. Teams always try to take advantage of home conditions.”
He explained that the spin-friendly pitches against West Indies were intended to exploit the visiting side’s weaknesses. “Since West Indies have two spin bowlers, we prepared accordingly. But now we will focus on true wickets so our batsmen can gain confidence and score freely — that’s the way forward,” he added.
Miraz also highlighted the balance between home advantage and long-term preparation. “World Cup wickets are usually very good. If we play as many matches as possible on true wickets now, it will give us valuable experience ahead of 2027. At the same time, we cannot ignore home advantage completely. Against certain teams, we may still prepare pitches to suit our strengths, but overall, the priority is good wickets,” he said.
He concluded: “Playing at home doesn’t mean producing poor pitches. We will still provide good wickets, but with a little home advantage where possible.”
