Southee expects spin to play a big role in 'hard-fought' series

The captains of Bangladesh and New Zealand couldn't be more different. Tim Southee is a 94-Test veteran who is in the same stature as the best fast bowlers in his country. Najmul Hossain Shanto, meanwhile, has just completed his first 12 months of consistent form.

Southee, who made his debut in 2008, has been the New Zealand captain from his 89th Test, since December last year. Shanto is the Bangladesh captain in his fifth year, after playing just 23 Tests.

Their outlook for the World Test Championship is also, predictably, quite different.

Southee wants to build the new cycle on his side's experience - particularly with the first series being in Bangladesh - from their time spent in the subcontinent in recent years. New Zealand have packed their side with five spinners, although Southee believes that they are facing a stiff challenge against the home side.

"It is foreign conditions compared to New Zealand," Southee said. "Pace plays a big role in New Zealand. Spin historically plays a big role in this part of the world. Our spinners have done some great things in Tests. We are looking forward to them showcasing their skills. It won't be easy to just get the (WTC) points. We know that Bangladesh are a great side in these conditions. I would imagine a hard-fought Test series.

"It is a different role than what we are used to back in New Zealand. We have three seamers here that offer different strengths. It is a collective bowling unit wherever you play in the world. Everyone chips in different ways. Spin doesn't play a big part in New Zealand but they will play a bigger role in Bangladesh."

Over at Bangladesh's pre-match press conference, Shanto had to field questions about his impending captaincy debut in this format. He has led Bangladesh in three ODIs since September, including two matches at the recent World Cup. He got the role this time after the regular Test captain Shakib Al Hasan (finger injury) and his deputy Litton Das (paternal leave) both were forced to miss the series.

"It is hard to pinpoint what I learned from those two games (in the World Cup)," he said. "It was a different format, too. I figured out small things like how to handle certain things in different situations. New Zealand is a good team. They are strong. They will be challenging in the Test series. But since we are playing at home, we should be able to challenge them with our spinners and batters. If things go to plan, we can beat this team."

Shanto also believed a Bangladesh captain should be ideally appointed with a long-term focus.

"It helps to plan better," he said. "I hope the board also considers a long-term captain. But I don't think the players are thinking too much about this. A captain will perform his duty. A team always does well when everyone does their particular work."

Southee, meanwhile, spoke about how he intends to use the side's recent experience of playing in India in the World Cup, and even their two-Test series in Pakistan at the start of the year, to good use in Bangladesh.

"We took a little look at the (Sylhet) wicket. There hasn't be a lot of Test matches here. So there's not a lot of information and statistics to go back on. I think we are expecting a pretty good surface. Of course spin will play a part in the match. We played in Pakistan earlier this year. The guys now have a lot of experience in the subcontinent.

"I think we will have a closer look at the wicket. There will be some assistance in the morning. It is what you get when you play at this time of the year. We have been training little bit early. So the wickets have been good in training."

Shanto said he was confident that Bangladesh's batters can bounce back after a poor World Cup. He said that the likes of Mominul Haque, Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Zakir Hasan, who were playing domestic first-class cricket recently, will be free of the World Cup burden too.

"Zakir (Hasan), (Mahmudul Hasan) Joy and (Mominul Haque) Sourav bhai played well in this season's NCL. They have made runs in this tournament. I played one game (after the World Cup). We obviously had a tough time but it was a different format. We are playing Tests now. We want to continue from where we left off from the Afghanistan Test in June."