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They may be coming in cold - and damp - but New Zealand's cricketers should still brush aside Bangladesh to stake a claim as the world's second ranked one-day team behind Australia.
New Zealand's bid to complete a series sweep and overtake South Africa and England to occupy the second rung on the International Cricket Council's one-day ladder starts on the outskirts of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka tomorrow afternoon.
Bangladesh have upset most of world cricket's leading nations in the limited overs format - England and New Zealand are the only exceptions, and that is unlikely to change over the next week in Mirpur and Chittagong.
New Zealand have not played a one-day international since trouncing Scotland by eight wickets in Aberdeen in July.
Although their only warm-up game before the three-match series was washed out yesterday, captain Daniel Vettori's squad should not be overly taxed in improving on their 11-win no-loss record against the subcontinent minnows.
Bangladesh have most recently been mauled by Australia and are missing at least seven former internationals, banned after they defected to the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) Twenty20 competition.
Vettori and his teammates have typically talked up opponents blessed with home advantage although they also acknowledge losing would amount to a catastrophe before they head to Australia for a two-test series next month.
The last time the two teams met, in Queenstown last New Year's Eve, Bangladesh were routed for 93, a total Brendon McCullum almost singlehandedly knocked off with a blistering unbeaten 80 off 28 balls. The chase took six overs.
"We're in a position where we should win comfortably but we're not good enough or consistent enough as a team to be complacent," said allrounder Jacob Oram, pointing out the nucleus of the Bangladeshi team who toured here last summer was still intact.
"It's not like half their team's gone, it's just their depth will be affected.
"They still have their main two spinners and seamers. They still have (Mohammad) Ashraful and (opener) Tamim (Iqbal).
"They will be tougher in their own conditions compared to in New Zealand last summer."
That is a moot point as New Zealand unashamedly eye the two tests against Australia in November as a springboard into a summer featuring visits by the West Indies and India either side of a five-match one-day series across the Tasman.
While sweeping the one-day series and two subsequent tests may not be ideal preparation for Australia, Oram said they could only make the most of the opportunity to get in some semblance of form.
"If we win and are playing well at least we get some confidence if guys are scoring hundreds and getting wickets."
Vettori said the tour was also a useful opportunity for younger members of the side - Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Jesse Ryder and Daniel Flynn - to build their experience on the subcontinent ahead of the 2011 World Cup.
"If you take Tim, he's going to be an important player in 2011 and it's important he gets some subcontinent experience.
"The same applies to Ross and Daniel - we'd like them to play 30-40 games in subcontinent conditions before the World Cup."
New Zealand will finalise their 11 shortly before the toss.
Allrounder Grant Elliott, seamer Michael Mason and reserve wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins were omitted from the warm-up match but Elliott's nagging medium pacers may see him included at the expense of a pace bowler after an inspection of the pitch at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Meanwhile, Chris Martin has been ruled out of the test component of the tour as he continues to nurse back and hamstring niggles picked up during his English county stint with Warwickshire.
Martin has been replaced by Mark Gillespie as the selection panel seek to have the pace bowler right for the test series in Australia.
New Zealand (from): Daniel Vettori (captain), Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder, Jamie How, Ross Taylor, Scott Styris, Daniel Flynn, Jacob Oram, Grant Elliott, Kyle Mills, Tim Southee, Mark Gillespie, Jeetan Patel, Michael Mason, Gareth Hopkins.
Bangladesh (from): Mohammad Ashraful (capt), Mashrafe Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, Junaid Siddique, Imrul Kayes, Shakib Al Hasan, Mehrab Hossain, Naeem Islam, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmud Ullah Riyad, Abdur Razzak, Syed Rasel, Shahadat Hossain, Mahbubul Alam Robin.
- NZPA
