Shanto keeps Mirpur wicket plans close ahead of West Indies Test, says Bangladesh will go with conditions that suit the team

The first match of the two-Test series between Bangladesh and the West Indies begins on Wednesday (28 October) at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. Although there has been discussion about what the Mirpur wicket will be like before the match, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto was unwilling to state clearly what type of wicket it will be.

Shanto said Bangladesh would plan according to conditions that help the team. After the recent success of Bangladesh's pacers, there is added curiosity over whether the Mirpur wicket this time will be only spin-dependent or will also offer help to pacers.

On Tuesday, in final preparations, the full Bangladesh squad practised at the Mirpur academy ground under head coach Phil Simmons. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque and the other batters batted for long spells in the nets, and the bowlers also sharpened themselves for the coming Test.

New batting coach Mohammad Salahuddin was seen correcting the batters' mistakes during practice. Bangladesh focused on preparing in both batting and bowling. The visiting West Indies team, by contrast, did not practise on the day before the match.

The Mirpur centre wicket was at the centre of the day's discussion. Before practice, captain Shanto, head coach Phil Simmons and senior batter Mushfiqur Rahim spent a long time there in discussion with pitch curator Tony Heming.

After the press conference, Shanto and Simmons were again seen spending time beside the wicket with chief selector Habibul Bashar Sumon and selector Naim Islam.

Bangladesh want to use home advantage in this series, which is part of the World Test Championship. The character of the wicket and the match conditions could play an important role in that, the material noted.

Asked at the press conference about the type of wicket, Shanto did not clarify his strategic position. He said Bangladesh are now in a good position in both pace and spin bowling, that he did not want to say it there, and that the team would go according to the condition that suits them.

Shanto's remarks made clear the position of not revealing the team's wicket plans to the opposition. Keeping faith in the team's ability in both pace and spin, the home captain focused on setting strategy according to conditions.