Hope we will cope with conditions - Jahanara
While mentioning the difficulty of adjusting to Irish conditions in a short time-frame, Bangladesh Women captain Jahanara Alam expressed hope that her side would tackle that obstacle and have a successful tour
Mohammad Isam
30-Aug-2016
Jahanara: "We are training harder these days. I am hopeful that we will do well in Ireland." • BCB
Bangladesh Women captain Jahanara Alam has said adjusting to Irish conditions quickly will be key to the team's success during their forthcoming limited-overs matches against Ireland Women in Londonderry.
The team is scheduled to arrive in Northern Ireland on September 3, after which they will have only one day to train and get accustomed to the conditions before the first T20I on September 5.
"We will get only a day to practice after reaching Ireland," Jahanara said on Tuesday. "These things can happen. We will have to face the harsh cold weather, while at home we had practiced under hot and humid conditions. But we are hopeful of coping with the conditions despite the fact that one practice session is not enough. We will look to make best use of the time we have there."
Bangladesh and Ireland will play T20Is on September 5 and September 6, followed by ODIs on September 8 and September 10. All four matches will be played at the Bready Cricket Club.
Bangladesh's last international assignment went poorly as they lost all group-stage matches in this year's Women's World T20 in India. Their last ODI memory isn't great either; they lost two ODIs out of two against Pakistan in October 2015. But Jahanara was hopeful that their mix of experienced and young players could bring them success.
"We will try to win all four matches on tour," she said. "We have around seven to eight seniors in the team. The team needs to play more matches in order to get the best possible output from the seniors. But we are playing internationals after long gaps and this is hampering our progress. I believe we will be able to put up a team effort, in which both the seniors and the newcomers will contribute."
Jahanara said the Bangladesh women's team had come a long way since their international debut, and hoped the change in mentality could lift them to a better position in Ireland.
"We are training harder these days. Our mentality has also changed over the last four years. I am hopeful that we will do well in Ireland."
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84