Cricket: Black Caps under no illusions ahead of tour opener

The Black Caps are guarding against complacency amidst expectations that they will whitewash the touring Bangladesh cricket side over the coming 2-1/2 weeks.

Bangladesh open their tour in Hamilton tonight with a Twenty20 clash with New Zealand, before the two sides embark on a three-match one-day series followed by a one-off test beginning on February 15.

Fast bowler Daryl Tuffey has already spoken of the Black Caps' desire to sweep the Tigers 5-0 ahead of Australia's tour next month.

Skipper Daniel Vettori says he's aware of the expectations on his team against Bangladesh.

But he warned that the Tigers would be no pushovers, pointing to their home test series against India last month, a series contested by the two nations at the opposite ends of the world test rankings.

"We are under no illusions about how good the Bangladesh team have been playing," he said yesterday.

"They put up some good results against India and that's the No 1 team in the world. If we take them lightly, we'll be in trouble."

Bangladesh lost both tests against India, but there were some notable individual performances.

Wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim and opener Tamim Iqbal both struck centuries, the latter compiling 151 in the second test in Dhaka, while Mahmudullah came close to joining them with 96 not out.

With the ball, medium pacer Shahahat Hossain and skipper Shakib Al Hasan, with his left-arm spin, each grabbed a five-wicket haul.

In Al Hasan, Bangladesh also have a player who for a period last year topped the International Cricket Council's ranking list for allrounders in the one-day game.

"They are a very good team and they are a team that's improving," Vettori said.

"If you've followed them and their fortunes, some their batters, particularly Shakib, have been playing exceptionally."

Vettori said Bangladesh would miss senior pace bowler and regular skipper Mashrafe Mortaza, whose comeback from seven months out with a knee injury has been put on hold.

Mortaza contracted a fever and didn't make the flight to New Zealand.

But Vettori said the tourists still had a bowling attack that could ask some tough questions.

Al Hasan said there was plenty of optimism about how the Bangladesh squad had developed over the past year.

"It's a good time to show the world how good we are," he said.

"We've been an improving side. We've been improving for the last 12 months or so."

He said the squad's forte was their batting depth.

"We've got eight or nine batsmen who can bat, who can make hundreds," he said.

"Our main strength is our batting, but our fast bowlers bowled well in the last series, so I'm very confident about them as well."

- NZPA