EXCERPTS:
You head to the match against India after back to back Friendlies against Bhutan, and the match against Qatar. How much will that help your team?
The 3 matches have helped us immensely to maintain our fitness. We also got the chance to work on a few ideas during the friendly matches. The Qatar match was extremely tough. We look forward to carry all the positives into the match against India.
Bangladesh have always been a talented team but have somewhat underachieved in recent times. What have you instilled into the squad since taking over?
I think we have become stronger as a team, and are much organised at the moment. All of that has made us a difficult team to beat. But we also intend to build on that, and make no mistake – we have now learnt how to win matches since I have taken over.
You have quite a lot of U-23 players in the squad, much like the Indian squad.
The U-23 Bangladesh boys did exceptionally well in the Asian Games. We wanted to test and push them further. But at the same time, I also believe you need some experience around them to help guide during camps, and International matches.
What do you make of the current Indian Team?
I have seen the progress India has made in recent times. In fact, the team made great strides under an English coach before Igor Stimac took over. I haven’t met or spoken to Igor. But I am looking forward to meeting him soon.
How much excited are the Bangladesh camp to be playing in Kolkata – after all, everyone in the city speak the same language, have the same culture, cuisine, folk, literature, etc.
Yeah, I have heard about that. We are really excited about the match. The bonus stays that it is being held in Kolkata. It will be a fantastic experience for everyone involved, including the fans.
You are arriving early on 11th in Kolkata with your team. How much will early acclimatization help?
I think getting over straight after the Qatar game gives us a few days to settle down, prepare, and hopefully help us for the game on the 15th.
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