Bangladesh departed for Abu Dhabi on 7 September to begin their Asia Cup campaign, with captain Litton Kumar Das and wicketkeeper-batter Jaker Ali both voicing their desire to win the trophy and end the nation’s painful wait for continental success.
The Tigers left in two groups, with Litton, Jaker, Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hasan, Shamim Hossain, Rishad Hossain, Sheikh Mehedi Hasan and Towhid Hridoy boarding a morning flight. The rest of the squad were scheduled to depart later in the evening, with training set to resume in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Ahead of departure, Jaker’s confidence matched the words he had spoken three weeks earlier during the team’s preparation camp. “Of course we all firmly believe we can be champions we’re going with that mindset,” he said at the airport. “There’s nothing to answer to anyone. We’ll play our best cricket. From fitness to the Netherlands series, our preparation has been very good. The dressing room environment has also been positive throughout.”
Litton, too, carried a message of ambition for the campaign. “We showed great preparation, the best I’ve ever seen. Now we want to repay the faith of our supporters,” he said. “We’ll take it match by match, but the ultimate dream is to lift the trophy.”
Bangladesh’s build-up began a month earlier with a focus on fitness before moving on to batting and bowling skills. Training in Mirpur was followed by an intensive camp in Sylhet, supported by the presence of specialist power-hitting coach Julian Wood. To add match practice, the Bangladesh Cricket Board arranged a home series against the Netherlands, which the hosts won convincingly.
Jaker believes Wood’s guidance will be key during the tournament. “This is how we need to play attacking, but based on the basics. On big stages or in series, the mindset has to be the same,” he explained.The Asia Cup begins on 9 september, with Bangladesh opening their campaign two days later against Hong Kong. Their group also features Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, making progression to the next stage a tough challenge.
While analysts such as Aakash Chopra and Russel Arnold have predicted an early exit for the Tigers, Litton and Jaker are determined to prove them wrong. “We don’t need to answer anyone,” Jaker said firmly. “We believe in our cricket, and we’re going there to be champions.”
