“Look, no one was dropped for this series,” Afridi said. “We just want to give opportunity for our youngsters. They also are our future. You want to give opportunity against Bangladesh. I think when the time comes, they will also know their role and what’s coming in future. We just need to prepare our team for the World Cup. It is an opportunity for the youngsters to show their skills.”
Three of those newcomers – Sahibzada Farhan, Maaz Sadaqat and Shamyl Hussain – will also make their ODI debuts on Wednesday, making up Pakistan’s top three.
“There will be three debuts. Sahibzada Farhan is a top performer in T20s and in List A cricket. Maaz Sadaqat will open and Shamyl Hussain will be one down. We are also, as a team, very excited to see them play for Pakistan, and not just for one series but for the future as well,” said Afridi.
He believes they are up for the challenge of facing Bangladesh at home, a different proposition than in other conditions. The likes of Farhan and Sadaqat, who have played in the BPL, also have a little more information about local conditions in Dhaka.
“Bangladesh have a good side. They play very good cricket in home conditions. They beat West Indies recently. We are prepared as a team. We won our last two ODI series against South Africa and Sri Lanka. We played very good cricket so we just want to continue that.
“I think they have some experience here playing the Bangladesh Premier League. Sahibzada Farhan, Maaz Sadaqat and few others played here this year. I think they already played on this ground and pitch, they know the condition as well. I hope they play their best cricket,” said Afridi.
Bangladesh captain Mehidy, meanwhile, is facing multiple challenges too. On one hand, he has had to revive the team’s mood after missing out on the T20 World Cup. His form with the bat and ball has also been under scrutiny. Mehidy acknowledged his form drop, but said he was ready to fight back as a player and captain.
“I am not worried (about my form). I always try to win games for the team, and I have done that in the past. So naturally there’s expectations about me being a match-winner. I will try to fulfil those expectations, as I have an important role with bat and ball in hand. My roles are usually helpful for the team, so I try to contribute as much as possible. For a captain, the win/loss column matters at the end of the day, so I will try to do my best from my position,” he said.
“The cricket board will consider whether I will stay as captain or not. My job will be to take the team to a good position. We won the last series, after losing the first two series. We have an important ODI series coming up, especially with the World Cup coming up,” he said.
Mehidy will move down the order after batting in the top four last year in ODIs. “I have batted in almost every position for Bangladesh so I have had time to reflect on my proper batting position. One that will help the team win more matches.
“I have batted at No 8 for a long time, having led the batting with the tail-enders, even winning in some cases. I think if I bat at No 7, given my experience batting with the tail, it will help the Bangladesh team. It will be a suitable position for the team,” he said.
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo’s Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84
