'SA pitches will suit me'

Mohammad Saifuddin seems eager to fill the gap in the Bangladesh limited overs side of seaming all-rounder after being named in the Tigers 16 member ODI team.

Saifuddin along with skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, vice captain Shakib Al Hasan and Nasir Hossain will fly to South Africa today for the upcoming three-match ODI series starting from October 15 in Kimberly.

The-20-year-old, who made his T20I debut in April this year against Sri Lanka, is hoping to establish his place in the fifty over format in the testing South African conditions where Mushfiqur Rahim and his troops currently struggle in the two match Test series.

The all-rounder wants to bank on his seam bowling, which according to him is his biggest strength, along with his ability to hit hard with the bat if he manages to make his ODI debut against the Proteas.

"It will be a tough ask for us in the South African conditions but at the same time the pitches there will also suit my style of cricket. If I get the opportunity I will definitely look to play my natural game according to the demand of the team. My main strength is bowling where I have to work on my variations as well while I will also look to contribute with the bat," Saifuddin told the Daily Star yesterday.

The cricketer from Feni was a regular performer during the ICC Under-19 World Cup last year in Bangladesh while he also performed significantly well in the recent High Performance teams' tour to the UK.

"The recent tour of UK with the HP side was a fruitful one as the conditions there are quite similar to the South African conditions and I think the experience will definitely help me. Obviously international cricket is always going to be tougher where I have to adjust my game and also work on variations," he added.

Meanwhile, champion all-rounder Shakib will join the Tigers, who have been struggling in the series, after completing his break from Test cricket and will certainly boost the side's morale.

It will be yet another challenge for captain Mashrafe to display better performances especially away from home while Nasir will be hoping to cement his place in the absence of Mosaddek Hossain in the ODI side.