The New Nation - Internet Edition

Md. Sabbir Hossain

Bangladesh National Cricket team led by skipper Mohammad Ashraful will leave the city today for New Zealand to play three One Day International matches (ODI), two Test matches, one Twenty||20 match against New Zealand National Cricket team and three warm up one-dayers against the selected elevens of New Zealand during the month-long tour.

Bangladesh will play the Twenty||20 match on December 23 at the Seddon Park in Hamilton.

Bangladesh will play against New Zealand in the first ODI on December 26 at the Eden Park in Auckland on December 26.

The Tigers will face the Kiwis in the second ODI at the McLean Park in Napier on December 28.

The Ashraful-led squad will meet New Zealand in the third ODI at the Queenstown Events Centre in Queenstown on December 31.

Bangladesh will face New Zealand in the first Test, which begins at the University Oval in Dunedin on January 4.

The Tigers will meet the Kiwis in the second test, which starts at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on January 12.

Bangladesh will play three warm up one-dayers on December 16, 18 and 21.

Before leaving the city Mohammad Ashraful said that they did not have much experience then. Ashraful added that they had already played 49 Test matches. Ashraful also added that the conditions of New Zealand was tough, but they would try to perform their best.

The players of Bangladesh team are : Mohammad Ashraful (Captain), Mashrafee Bin Mortaza(Vice-Captain), Javed Omer, Tushar Imran, Abdur Razzak, Shakib Al Hasan, Syed Rasel, Aftab Ahmed, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shahadat Hossain, Junaed Siddiqui, Farhad Reza, Mehrab Hossain(Junior), Tamim Iqbal and Nazmul Hossain.

The officials are:Ahmed Sajjadul Alam Bobby (Manager) and Jamie Siddons (Coach).

.Bangladesh National Cricket team will depart New Zealand on January 17.