Zimbabwe should be 'scared' - Fountain

Zimbabwe have openly conceded they are the 'underdogs' going into their one-day series against Bangladesh, and Julien Fountain, the Bangladeshi fielding coach, believes the visitors have every reason to be apprehensive as they prepare to face a side which has had the better of all the recent encounters between the two teams.

"I think they are probably right, they are the underdogs," said Fountain, who was appointed fielding coach in August this year and has previously filled that role for England, Pakistan and West Indies. "We are at home; it is our wicket, our conditions and our crowd. They should feel a little scared."

While for several years after their first meeting in 1997 Zimbabwe had the beating of Bangladesh, the Bangladeshis have proved utterly dominant dominant in recent times and have won 25 of the 47 matches between the two teams.

Zimbabwe have identified Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan as a key player in this series, with captain Elton Chigumbura calling him "the main guy", but Fountain suggested that the hosts did not regard any of the Zimbabwean players as particularly threatening. "To be honest, I haven't really done much research on them," he said. "I really don't think we are looking at them as though they are dangerous."