DHAKA: Bangladesh is going to face mighty England in Test cricket with bitter experiences of conceding two consecutive

defeats and a draw in practice matches against the hosts during the tour.

The visitors will stage their real show at Lords, beginning at Bangladesh standard time 4:00pm Thursday.

After having been ruled out from the T20 World Cup on May 5, Bangladesh were traveling to England for adapting to the

weather conditions. They got enough time to manage the hard and bouncy pitch, over two three-day matches and a four-day one.
Skipper Shakib Al Hassan led the team in the first practice match against Surrey, which ended with a draw. Surrey scored

318/7d and 313/3d while Bangladesh could manage 372/6d runs from an innings.
Shakib was then attacked with chicken pox and he went to bed-rest for recovery from the virus. The Bangladesh national team

management Wednesday told Reuters, however, that the skipper is ready for leading the team as he is becoming cured.
In the absence of two key players--Captain Shakib and injured opening-batsman Tamim Iqbal--Bangladesh were thrashed in their

last two practice matches. Essex beat them by 5 wickets+, while England Lions overpowered the visitors by 9 wickets in the

last four-day match at Manchester.
Tamim Iqbal gave Bangladesh a glimmer of hope for the first test, promising to take his place at the top of the order,

despite having a painful wrist injury.
The dashing left-arm opener told Reuters, “I can play with my left wrist taped, although I may eventually need surgery.”
"I don't want to take any chances but I'm batting okay in the nets and the pain is becoming better day by day," he said.
Tamim, who scored three fluent half-centuries during the two-test home series against England this year, is one of

Bangladesh's two smart players.
The other is captain and all-rounder Shakib, who expects to play despite contracting chicken pox.
Returning Shakib and Tamim, Bangladesh may not perform extraordinarily in the ground, but it might boost team spirit, which

will help them fight against the hosts.
England begins the home season buoyed by their win in the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, passing a wonderful season

overseas and at home.
Bangladesh squad: Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Shamsur Rahman, Mohammad Ashraful, Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Junaid Siddique,

Jahurul Islam, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim, Naeem Islam, Abdur Razzak, Shahadat Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam,

Mahbubul Alam and Robiul Islam.
England Squad: Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss (captain), Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior,

Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steven Finn and Ajmal Shazhad.

BDST: 1701 Hrs, May 26, 2010
SA/MMA/MUA/