Dhaka, June 13 (V7N) – The new cycle of the ICC World Test Championship is set to kick off on June 17, with Bangladesh facing Sri Lanka in a two-match Test series on Lankan soil.

Ahead of the tour, Bangladesh Test captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto addressed the media at a press conference in Mirpur on Thursday (June 12). Reflecting on the possibility of Bangladesh one day playing in the Test Championship final, Shanto said, “It’s definitely a big dream, but thinking that far ahead would be unwise. Our focus is to progress step by step. If we can stay within the top four or five in the rankings, that would be a good achievement.”

Highlighting Bangladesh’s gradual progress in Test cricket, Shanto added, “When we started, we only won one match in the previous cycle. We managed four wins in the last one. The goal now is to win one or two more matches this time.”

Shanto also noted the advantage of long-term leadership for team planning and expressed his gratitude to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for entrusting him with the captaincy for another year.

In the previous Test Championship cycle, Bangladesh finished ahead of Pakistan and the West Indies with four victories—three of which were achieved overseas.

Bangladesh will depart for Sri Lanka on June 13. The first Test will be held in Galle starting June 17, followed by the second and final Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on June 25.

END/MSS/AJ