DHAKA: Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is determined to maintain the team's recent progress in Test cricket, saying the upcoming two-match series against the West Indies is an opportunity to take another step towards their maiden World Test Championship (WTC) final, reports BSS.

Shanto's side will face the West Indies in the opening Test of the two-match series at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur tomorrow (Wednesday).

Bangladesh, currently fourth in the WTC standings, have a realistic chance of qualifying for the final, but Shanto said the team would not be distracted by the qualification equation.

He rather preferred to focus on playing good cricket in each match and session.

"I am not thinking too far ahead. We are thinking only about this Test match, or rather, this two-Test series. If we win these matches, we can automatically achieve those goals," Shanto said in a pre-match conference at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium today. 

Bangladesh need to win at least four of their remaining six Tests, while a draw could also be crucial to their qualification hopes.

Shanto, however, said the possibility of reaching the WTC final was a source of inspiration rather than pressure.

"It's inspiring, not pressure. We want to follow our process and give 100 per cent to what we can do. We don't want to do anything extra," he said.

The Bangladesh captain expressed his satisfaction with the team's preparations, particularly the early training undertaken by players who returned home after the Afghanistan series.
 
He admitted that the West Indies had prepared extensively, including a camp in Zimbabwe, but insisted that Bangladesh had made the most of the time available to them.

"Our players have enough experience. For the last few years, we have been playing cricket series after series, and we have gradually adapted to this situation. The players have been able to prepare in their respective environments, and I am happy with the preparation," he remarked. 

Shanto also stressed the importance of consistency, saying that Bangladesh had not performed well in their last two or three Tests.

"Consistency is definitely important. We haven't played better cricket as we did previously in the last two or three Tests. We have been discussing how we can improve, and there is a lot of planning in place," he said.

He is optimistic that the team could improve its performance by another 20 to 30 percent in the coming days.

Bangladesh have made encouraging progress in Test cricket in recent years, highlighted by their victory over Australia in Darwin and their improved performances in overseas conditions. However, the drawn Test against Afghanistan left Shanto disappointed, as he believed Bangladesh should have won the match.

Despite the missed opportunity, he identified several positives from the five-day contest, particularly the players' determination to fight until the final session.

"We should have won that match, 100 per cent. But the positive thing was that we fought hard for five days, and everyone showed tremendous commitment, especially in bowling and fielding in such hot conditions," he said.

Shanto believes the experience will help Bangladesh handle similar situations more effectively in the future.
 
Shanto also said Bangladesh had experienced options in the middle order, which provided reassurance to the captain. 

He said the pace bowlers were prepared to play whenever required, depending on the conditions.

Regarding Litton Das's fitness, Shanto said the batter had completed batting and fielding practice but the team was still waiting for the final assessment from the physiotherapist and trainer.

"If everything goes well, he will play, but I have not yet received the final report," he said.