NEWS
Follow UsIreland are set to lock horns against Bangaldesh in a seven-match multi-format series, and Curtis Campher is excited by the prospect of playing in Asian conditions along with a potential Test debut on the cards in the first week of April.
The two sides will lock horns in the three ODIs and T20Is starting on Saturday, March 18, in Sylhet and will conclude with the final T20I on Friday, March 31, at Chattogram.
After three days of break, they are set for a historic Test match at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka starting April 4. Ahead of the series, Campher shared his thoughts on the upcoming matches after his first training session in Bangaldesh.
“I think when you’re travelling this distance, you try to get over the jet lag as quickly as possible. You try to implement a few things and try not to have naps. It’s always great to get a nice little run around, play a bit of football with the lads, and have a light hit," he said.
"It was a good day to try and get acclimatised, get used to the sun, and the heat and the humidity, and to get out of the hotel, of course," he added.
The 23-year-old made his international debut in 2020 and has been an integral part of Ireland's rise in the world arena, with 915 runs and 35 wickets across two white-ball formats, including two T20 World Cup appearances.
He was also part of the Chattogram Challengers in the Bangladesh Premier League and feels the experience of playing in the league will be beneficial for the team heading into the series.
“The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) experience definitely helped me come back to Sylhet, having played here before. We’ve got a warm-up game during the day, which is a little bit different. I've only played day-nighters here, but I think the One-Day internationals will be day-nighters, so that'll be good preparation," Campher said.
"I've really enjoyed the BPL. It was really good for me on a personal level because I got to experience the crowd, the wickets, and how the surface reacted a bit differently. I think watching a bit of the England series, the ball is really turning quite sharply, so we do expect it to turn quite a bit.
"However, in saying that, It’s been a good batting track. Even after today's nets, the wickets played really nicely, so I think it's going to be hard for both batters and bowlers with the conditions as it should be really warm, but we’re really looking forward to getting going," he further added.
The all-rounder also stated that if he gets selected to feature in the playing XI of the one-off Test, it will be the highlight of his career, and he looks forward to contributing to the sport in the red-ball format.
“If selected to play in the Test match, that would be one of the highlights of my cricket career. Obviously, Test Cricket is the highest and purest form of the game, and thankfully a lot of people share the same opinion. It's something that would be amazing to do. It's not an easy place to play Test cricket, but I think that's what you want."
"You want to test yourself. Test cricket is the hardest format, and it's going to be really tough out here. They’ve got a great record at home. To be a part of it would be amazing for me. And hopefully, we can maybe get the first Test win for Ireland," he concluded.
