Cricket: Maiden Bangladesh tour has challenges

By RICHARD BOOCK


The fear of ending up on the wrong side of an embarrassing piece of history should help prevent any minds wandering during New Zealand's upcoming tour of Bangladesh.

Still winless after 30 tests, the Bangladeshis have nevertheless proved difficult at times during their home engagements, and can possibly boast the most challenging conditions of all the international touring destinations.

They have played just two previous tests against New Zealand - in Wellington and Hamilton in 2001-02 - losing them both by more than an innings after struggling to come to terms with the pace of the now-injured Shane Bond.

But New Zealand coach John Bracewell is wary of the additional pressure that will be heaped on his team when they begin their historic, maiden test tour of Bangladesh.

"From what I've heard, Bangladesh are a far tougher proposition at home, and have the potential to cause genuine difficulties for any opponent who takes them lightly.

"They're like any of the new, expansion test sides, in that they attempt to survive for as long as they can; their goal is to avoid losing, and that places a lot of extra pressure on the opposition in terms of creating opportunities."

He pointed out that New Zealand adopted a similar philosophy after attaining test status and still took 26 years to post their maiden win.

Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe had similarly pursued a conservative approach at first, frustrating opponents with their lack of initiative but eventually becoming more competitive at home and abroad.

Bangladesh are still waiting patiently for that breakthrough after losing 27 of their first 30 tests and drawing just three, a record that makes them easily the most unsuccessful of the new test sides in terms of matches played.

As it happens, New Zealand have played twice previously at Dhaka (in 1955-56 and 1969-70) but at that stage the independent state of Bangladesh had not been formed, and the tourists' opposition were Pakistan.

The 1955 test was played on an unpredictable matting-covered pitch in typically suffocating humidity and ended in a draw. The 1969 version was a tad more dramatic, Graham Dowling's side being forced to endure crowd riots and an opposition counterattack before securing their first series win in New Zealand test history.

Against all predictions, the New Zealanders had taken a 1-0 series lead after a five-wicket win in the second test at Lahore, and needed to save the test at Dhaka to secure the series.

The hero of the hour was Auckland pace bowler Bob Cunis, who wrecked the Pakistan top-order to take four for 21, and might have guided his side to another memorable win had it not been for the pitch invaders and the weather.

New Zealand also played two one-day internationals at Dhaka during the inaugural 1998 ICC Knockout Trophy.

That was the tournament in which Chris Harris clubbed a match-winning 37 off 21 balls, including a boundary off the last ball of the match, to snatch a thrilling win against Zimbabwe in the pre-quarter-final match.

But Sri Lanka snuffed out New Zealand's title bid in the next match.

"The English found last year's tour of Bangladesh a difficult assignment, despite the home side's test record," Bracewell said.

"There were moments - maybe the occasional session - when they were made to work very hard for their results, when there was a feeling that things were in the balance and they were being challenged very strongly."

He said the key for the New Zealand players was to avoid becoming impatient as they went about their work, and to have faith in their ability to outlast the Bangladeshis and beat them at their own game.

"The trick is to absorb the pressure moments when they come and to battle through them just as you would against any other opponent,"

Bracewell said. "What England found was that their experience came through eventually - but that they had to work hard first and earn their advantage."

Just like a soccer manager might caution his team against trying too much and expecting results too quickly, Bracewell said it was important that New Zealand concentrated first on the fundamentals.

"It's never easy when everyone's expecting you to win comfortably, when there's an element of a hiding-to-nothing about the contest. But that's how it is for all the established test-playing nations and we've simply got to handle that.

"And on top of that, it's going to be uncomfortably hot, the conditions will be unfamiliar, and the culture completely foreign, so there's going to be a real need to keep on our toes."

Dismal record


Bangladesh's test history at home:

v India, lost by 9 wickets, Dhaka, 2000-01

v Zimbabwe, draw, Dhaka, 2001-02

v Zimbabwe, lost by eight wickets, second test, Chittagong, 2001-02

v Pakistan, lost by innings and 178 runs, first test, Dhaka, 2001-02

v Pakistan, lost by innings and 169 runs, second test test, Chittagong, 2001-02

v West Indies, lost by innings and 310 runs, first test, Dhaka, 2002-03

v West Indies, lost by seven wickets, second test, Chittagong, 2002-03

v South Africa, lost by innings and 60 runs, first test, Chittagong, 2003

v South Africa, lost by innings and 18 runs, second test, Dhaka, 2003

v England, lost by seven wickets, first test, Dhaka, 2003-04

v England, lost by 329 runs, 2nd test, Chittagong, 2003-04