Australia’s cricket kings may have trouble lifting their game in the two-Test series against minnows Bangladesh, wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist warned here on Monday.
But the explosive batsman said the Australians would be treating their first-ever series with the Bangladeshis with respect and would not be motivated by the chance to smash records.
The series between the world’s top and bottom-ranked sides — which starts with a Test here on Friday — has been described as the biggest mismatch in cricket history.
Former Test batsman David Hookes dismissed Bangladesh last week, saying they didn’t deserve to be playing Test cricket and urged the Australians to try to win the first encounter inside a day.
”We will keep using the word respect, we will respect the fact that it’s a Test match,” Gilchrist said as he arrived with the bulk of the Australian team in the tropical northern city on Monday.
”Hopefully, if we win we’ll be able to do it to a level that we are happy with and let Bangladesh know where the standard of being one of the best Test teams in the world is at.”
Gilchrist said Australia could struggle to lift themselves during the cricket off-season, after a hectic year of virtually continuous cricket.
”It could be very difficult for us for a few reasons, not so much that where we are playing or who the opposition is,” he said.
”But it is a unique time of year and we have had, although we have had a month off, it was about nine months, 10 months on the road with a serious amount of cricket.
”It could be a feeling of difficulty to try and lift ourselves for that.
”I sense that there could definitely be a threat of that so we have got to make sure that we address it and don’t let it slip in.”
Express bowler Brett Lee expected the Bangladeshi team — their spirits lifted after Sunday’s two-wicket tour win over the Northern Territory Chief Minister’s XI — to put up a good fight.
He was hoping for a quick wicket at the upgraded Marrara Oval in the first Test.
”I can’t see it being too quick though, but I think any sort of wicket is going to be a lot quicker than [in] the West Indies over the last couple of months — it’s pretty flat over there.”
He said Australia wouldn’t hold back against the Test newcomers.
”I think that it is not fair on them if we don’t go out there and try and put on a really good show,” Lee said.
”I think the best way they should try learning Test cricket is for us to go out there and try and put on a really good performance against them.
”That’s the way they can actually get better in Test cricket.” – Sapa- AFP