Curtis Campher admits that Ireland will have no excuses for not performing on the remainder of their tour in Bangladesh which continues today with the third and final one-day international in Sylhet.
Rain prevented them chasing a formidable 350 target on Monday, after losing the opener by 183 runs but Campher, who along with skipper Andrew Balbirnie played in the Bangladesh Premier League last month, insists it is now full steam ahead.
“It’s a tough place to come but slowly but surely we are getting there and the more training we put in and games we plays the better we will get,” he said.
Defending the bowling at the death in the first two games, Campher added: “When you come to the sub-continent it is easy to kick on when you have partnerships and they have batted really well. It’s always tough bowling in the last 10 overs under lights and while they have batted really nicely we haven’t been up to scratch.”
Ireland’s batters haven’t had a chance to reach that stage as they were bowled out in the first game in the 31st over but, according the South African-born player who became the first Ireland batter to score a half-century in his first two ODIs, the team was relishing the big chase on Monday.
“We have some world-class batters, chasing is definitely the best option under lights, the ball really comes on and just because we had one (batting) performance which wasn’t up to scratch doesn’t mean we are not a good side chasing.”
Tomorrow would be a good day to prove it, if Balbirnie can win his third successive toss, as they aim to remain unbeaten in four of their last five ODI series.
The big one, though, is the next one – the three-match series in Chelmsford in May – when the teams clash again with Ireland likely needing to win them all to avoid the qualification tournament for the World Cup in India this October.
It seems an unlikely scenario, such is the strength of this Bangladesh side and even if the bowlers dismiss star players Tamim Iqbal, Shakib-al-Hasan and the in-form Najmul Shanto, they come up against Mushfiqur Rahim at No 6.
The 35 year-old has played more than 400 games for Bangladesh and has scored 144 in the first two games this week off just 86 balls.
“He is really impactful, a class act and shows why he has done well for so long," enthused Campher. "To come in and play with such freedom and hit some high class and inventive shots put us under pressure. He has done it two in two now and he’s obviously is a massive player for them and we’ll have to go back to the drawing board and find ways to combat his skill.”