Let's not get carried away. Results are everything and our performance over the past few years have been pretty exasperating. We will be touring England in May and will play them in damp, early summer conditions. We shall also be playing Australia
. Let's be realistic about our prospects. An objective appraisal of our strength versus theirs is a sobering experience.
In an earlier thread I expressed my misgivings about this tour. I will repeat the gist of my argument here.
Facing England on their soil in the early part of the summer is a daunting experience for most teams nowadays. This is not the pathetic English side of the 80's and 90's. Given the physical stature of our players and their difficulty in playing bounce, a few injuries from rising deliveries cannot be discounted (Harmison and Brett Lee any one?). The wickets will be softer and negate any spin advantage we may have. There is a very real possibility, given the expected results, that our new found confidence will be shattered. Meanwhile, we can expect pity at best and derision at worst from a prejudicial media. Whatmore could well be induced by an offer from a better team after the tour.
Furthermore, the old refrains of test cricket being undermined by the presence of BD and ZIM will be re-ignited.
Given the very real possibilities mentioned above, is touring England for a full tour really the best thing now. Could we not play them more often on our own soil until we improve further (and arrange non-test tours to England in the meantime)? Couldn't this tour do more harm than good for BD cricket?