Bangladesh and Pakistan are set to put their previous head-to-head firmly behind them as they turn attention to the first Test of a two-match series at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on May 8. The backdrop is a memorable Bangladesh triumph in 2024, when the hosts claimed a historic Test series win against their neighbours in Asia. Yet, with the opener approaching, neither camp is treating that result as a storyline that should carry over into the present week.
Fresh starts ahead of the May 8 opener
- Bangladesh arrive at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium with an earlier 2024 series win over Pakistan still widely discussed, but head coach Phil Simmons insists the team is focused on “new history” rather than revisiting the past.
- Simmons said the 2024 achievement should remain a mental boost rather than a burden, adding that the context is different now: “We are in Bangladesh now… We have to put those things behind us and focus on Friday.”
- Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi mirrored that stance, stating he does not want to dwell on previous meetings and that the squad’s attention is on the present and what lies ahead.
- Shaheen underlined that Pakistan are preparing with bigger goals in mind—aiming for championship success rather than treating the series as a standalone target.
Bangladesh’s most recent international action came in November 2025 against Ireland, while Pakistan’s latest Test outing was their series against South Africa in 2025. Even with the time gap since their previous Tests, the Bangladesh group believes returning to the longer format should be manageable, with a number of players having spent time in the red-ball circuit through domestic cricket.
Phil Simmons described the adjustment as primarily “a mental shift,” pointing out that while not everyone has been playing white-ball cricket recently, several players have been working with the red ball for the past couple of months. In his view, that preparation should make the transition easier than many might expect.
Simmons also played down any lingering pressure connected to the 2024 result, arguing that most expectations lie outside the dressing room. He suggested the public and media tend to carry more weight from the previous series than the players do, and he said Bangladesh are trying to keep that outside the team environment as they prepare for the current match.
From Pakistan’s perspective, Shaheen said the team is not worried about the time since their last Test. He noted that their most recent series against South Africa in Pakistan was “a long time ago,” but stressed that the squad feels ready, having had preparation time in Pakistan and then additional work during the final two to three days in Bangladesh.
Shaheen framed the coming days as crucial for Pakistan’s longer-format setup, given that they are entering a long Test season. The emphasis, he said, is on how to prepare properly for the first match and hope the local conditions help them play their best cricket.
To sharpen their readiness, Shaheen explained that Pakistan had already been working during the PSL, and after matches they bowled extra overs on the side wickets. He added that they monitored and adjusted bowling workloads to switch quickly to the Test arena, and during the four or five days at the venue they focused on bowling close to 25 overs to get used to the demands of the format.
Looking ahead to the challenge, Shaheen acknowledged that contesting a side in its own conditions is always tough. He stressed that Pakistan are not measuring themselves only against this series, but also with the World Test Championship in mind—specifically targeting qualification for the final and then aiming to win it. He concluded by saying the entire group understands what is required to perform at its highest level in the Test format.
