Bangladesh all-rounder Sakib al Hasan (C) jokes with team-mates during a training session at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on Monday. Third Bangladesh-West Indies ODI toady
Azad Majumder . Chittagong
West Indies promised a little respite for Bangladesh as they head into the third and final one-day international in Chittagong today, hoping to complete a whitewash with the series already in their pocket.
Speaking to reporters in Chittagong ahead of the game, skipper Darren Sammy said they have no shortage of motivation as a series sweep will give them a good shot in the official one-day ranking.
‘We still have got a job to do, (if) we win the series, we get four points in the ranking system. So it’s a very important match just like every match has been in the series,’ said Sammy.
A win in today’s game, which has become increasingly uncertain with murky overhead condition, will also help West Indies erase the memory of a similar sweep by Bangladesh in their previous meeting in a bilateral series.
Sammy, who is one of the two surviving members in the current side that lost to Bangladesh 2-0 in a Test and 3-0 in a one-day series, however, dismissed the idea of revenge and said ranking is their sole motivation ahead of the game.
‘It’s not about revenge, it’s about going and putting in a professional display,’ he said.
‘So far we are on the losing end in the T20, a close game. But we have put in a very good professional display in ODIs, it’s about continuing that.
‘Like I said if we win the series 2-1 we get no points, we win the series 3-0 we get four points and that’s what is on our mind,’ he said.
Bangladesh’s motivation is, however, totally different as they are now desperately looking for a win to save their face having been completely outplayed in the previous two matches.
Nasir Hossain, representing the Tigers in the pre-match press conference, said they also need it to lift their confidence before the Test series, which will also begin in Chittagong on October 21.
‘We will try to win the third ODI anyway as we need some boost before the Tests. We also need a win to avoid a further slide in our confidence before the Test and one-day series against Pakistan in December,’ said Nasir.
The all-rounder added that they just require a stroke of luck as it happened during the World Cup. Bangladesh were under heavy pressure before their Chittagong leg, having lost to the same West Indies by nine wickets in Dhaka after being dismissed for their lowest ever total of 58 in the World Cup.
They buried the disappointment in the adjacent sea with win over England and the Netherlands in Chittagong which had given them a realistic hope to progress into the quarter-final, though they could not do it in the end.
Nasir was not part of the World Cup squad but his team-mates still cherish the sweet memory and are definitely motivated by it.
‘Obviously we all are discussing about it. Hope history will repeat itself,’ he said.
Sammy, however, is fully aware of Bangladesh’s luck in Chittagong and they will be aiming to put an end to their winning streak in this venue.
‘We will be hoping to put an end to that. Like I said we have been doing some good stuff,’ he said.
‘It shows that if you prepare well you improve your chance of win and so far for this trip we had a good preparation back in Barbados and in Dubai, playing in a similar condition. So I think that has helped along the away, we are just looking to continue the good stuff,’ he said.
Bangladesh are looking to make two changes in their line-up for the game with Shahriar Nafees in line to replace wayward Mohammad Ashraful, who has an average of 10.11 since he made his last half-century in January, 2010.
Nazmul Hossain can return for out-of-form Shafiul Islam, though the weather condition can deter the Tigers from bringing in these changes.
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