Nurul Hasan, Bangladesh's interim T20I skipper, said on Thursday that the team is looking to develop a winning habit, starting with the upcoming two-match T20I series against the UAE, which will help them gain confidence ahead of tri-series in New Zealand and T20I World Cup.
The Bangladesh team left for Dubai on Thursday afternoon to play in the two games against the UAE on September 25 and 27.
Bangladesh's recent performance in the shortest format has been quite disappointing, with the team having won only one match in 13 T20Is (one game was abandoned) they played since the last edition of the T20 World Cup. As a result the BCB made several changes including replacing head coach Russell Domingo with new T20 technical consultant Sridharan Sriram while Shakib Al Hasan took over as skipper and Nurul as his deputy.
Nurul will be leading the side for the third time in T20Is having debuted as leader during the three-match series against Zimbabwe, playing two matches before returning home after sustaining an injury that kept him out of the just concluded Asia Cup.
Nurul hoped Bangladesh will get back on track through the series against the UAE. "I think it will be good preparation ahead of the World Cup. If we can win then we can take the confidence into New Zealand and the World Cup and that will help us," Nurul told reporters. "We lost a couple of games but we know that this team has a different look, if we can develop the habit of winning, and we are going there keeping our focus on it."
Nurul added that he has been in touch with Shakib but the two members of the leadership group will make plans once they meet in New Zealand. Shakib, who is playing for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the ongoing Caribbean Premier League, is not available for the series against UAE and as a result Nurul is leading the side. Shakib, who has the NOC till October 4, will join the team in New Zealand before the start of the series.
"Every team wants players like Shakib bhai but it will be a chance for someone who will be replacing him in the XI. We are regularly talking but nothing great as he is busy with the CPL. We will talk when he joins us in New Zealand," Nurul concluded.