Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto does not want the heat in Abu Dhabi to become an excuse as his side prepare to face Afghanistan in the one-off Test.
Bangladesh will take on Afghanistan at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium from Friday, with Shanto saying the team’s preparations have gone well ahead of the Test. He also confirmed that he has fully recovered from his recent illness.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Shanto said the players are not overly concerned about the hot conditions and must deal with them as professionals.
“I think the preparation has been good. The conditions are a bit hot, that will be there. But as professional players, we don’t want to see that as an excuse at all. I don’t think the players are thinking too much about it either,” Shanto said.
The Bangladesh captain had missed some preparation due to illness but returned to training over the last two days and said he is feeling good again.
“Personally, my recovery has been good, Alhamdulillah. I am fit now. I have practised over the last two days and I am feeling good,” he said.
Shanto is also optimistic about the Abu Dhabi surface after getting a first look at the wicket on Wednesday. He expects it to be slightly slow but believes it should be good for batting.
“I got a chance to look at the wicket yesterday and I will have another look today. It looked good. It may be a little slow, but I think it will be good for batting. So I am hoping it will be a very good Test match,” he said.
Bangladesh head into the Test after their recent series in Australia and will now face a different challenge against Afghanistan in unfamiliar conditions.
The one-off Test begins on October 9.
