Streak speaks on Zim tour to Bangladesh

Sport
HEATH Streak says he won’t let his former links with the Zimbabwe cricket team get in the way of his work as Bangladesh bowling coach when the two sides meet next month.

HEATH Streak says he won’t let his former links with the Zimbabwe cricket team get in the way of his work as Bangladesh bowling coach when the two sides meet next month.

SPORTS REPORTER

Zimbabwe cricketers will embark on their longest tour in more than a decade when they tour Bangladesh for three Test matches and five one-day internationals (ODIs).

The tour will also be the first meeting between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh since Streak was appointed the Tigers’ specialist bowling coach in May this year.

Stressing the importance of the upcoming tour, Streak said his priority would be Bangladesh, adding they would benefit from his knowledge of the Zimbabwe Cricket team.

“The Zimbabwe series which is in front of us is very important for us,” Streak told bdcricteam.com in an interview yesterday.

“Listen, profession is above everything. I’ve come here to do the duty for Bangladesh, so I’ve no reason to stay beside Zimbabwe. I’m paying my full attention to increase the level of bowling of Bangladesh.

“Bangladesh will find some added benefit as I was a Zimbabwean cricketer and I will enjoy the matter.”

Streak was speaking in the wake of Bangladesh’s just-ended tour of the West Indies where the Tigers were whitewashed in both the ODIs and Tests while the only Twenty20 was washed out.

While Bangladesh are still reflecting on the loss to the West Indies, their Zimbabwean counterparts have been intensifying preparations.

The side currently in camp is expected to take their preparations to the Lowveld town of Chiredzi to play a four-day warm-up game from October 11 to 14 as they try to come up with a plan to counter the spin threat awaiting them in Bangladesh.

Zimbabwean batsmen vulnerability to spin was exposed recently with the country’s second-string side currently on tour in Bangladesh struggling against the hosts’ rampant spinners.