As Bangladesh gear up for a crucial ICC World Test Championship series against Australia, pacer Taskin Ahmed is excited by the prospect of going up the home side’s fabled pace quartet.
Speaking ahead of the first test in Darwin, Taskin said, “From my childhood, I've been watching Australia team players, like great fast bowlers, legendary players.
"Really now I have the opportunity to play against them. So I'm really excited.
"Australia is my favourite place to bowl. I have been watching all of them, (Mitchell) Starc, (Josh) Hazlewood, (Pat) Cummins, even (Scott) Boland also doing well. If I have a chance to chat with them, I definitely will."
While Taskin is yet to play a test in Australia, the 31-year-old has 14 wickets from nine outings across ODIs and T20Is for Bangladesh.
This includes six of his nine wickets for Bangladesh across the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2015, which was hosted in Australia and New Zealand.
Bangladesh will arrive in the series having mounted a famous 2-1 ODI series win against Australia at home only two months ago.
Taskin, who finished as the second-highest wicket-taker for Bangladesh in the series, believes the triumph gives the visitors a much-needed morale boost heading into the test series, starting on 13 August.
"That was a really great series for us, especially because normally, traditionally in Mirpur, it used to be a turning and slow wicket, but the last series was pretty sporting conditions.
"We all played a good series, and we won against Australia. That's giving us really good confidence to play against them. But still, home and away, there is a big difference."
Also a positive for Bangladesh is their performance so far in this WTC cycle, with the team currently fourth in the WTC Standings, with a 58.33 PCT after four outings.
Australia, on the other hand, will be vying to maintain the pole position, boasting a PCT of 87.50 in the race to seal a spot at next year’s ICC World Test Championship Final at The Oval.
SERIES SCHEDULE:
First test: 13-17 August, Marrara Stadium, Darwin
Second test: 22-26 August, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay
SQUADS:
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster
Bangladesh squad (first test): Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (vc), Soumya Sarkar, Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Amite Hasan, Jaker Ali, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Musfik Hasan