Bangladesh are set to take on the challenge of playing on true wickets at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. With the 2027 ODI World Cup in mind, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and his teammates will begin this challenge from the upcoming ODI series against Pakistan. However, Miraz also said they will make use of home advantage to secure World Cup qualification.

Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz shared these thoughts during a press conference on Tuesday (March 10) ahead of the three-match ODI series against Pakistan.

Speaking about the wickets for the series, Miraz said, “We will definitely play on true wickets. Every team takes advantage of home conditions. But now we will try to play on true wickets so that our batters gain confidence before the World Cup and can score runs.”

Explaining the concept of true wickets, the Tigers’ captain said, “In World Cups, the wickets are usually good. We want to start getting used to that from now. Since we have many ODI matches before the 2027 World Cup, if we can play most of them on true wickets, it will give us good experience.”

To qualify directly for the 2027 World Cup, Bangladesh need to be ranked within the top eight in the ODI rankings. Currently, Bangladesh are ranked 10th. Miraz therefore reminded that alongside playing on true wickets, qualifying for the World Cup is also crucial.

He said, “At the same time, we must remember that we have to qualify for the World Cup. Against teams where we can take home advantage, we will definitely try to use that advantage. Along with that, we must also keep in mind that we should try to play as many matches as possible on true wickets.”

The Mirpur pitch has traditionally been spin-friendly. However, Miraz said home conditions do not necessarily mean playing on poor wickets.

“Home conditions do not mean we will play on very poor wickets. That’s not the case. We will play on good wickets at home, but we will also try to make the most of our home advantage,” he added.

At one time, Bangladesh had established a strong position in ODI cricket globally, but they could not maintain that consistency. Miraz now wants the team to regain that position starting with the Pakistan series.

The Bangladesh ODI captain said, “We want to set the tone from now so that we can make a strong comeback in the ODI format and move forward in a very positive way.”