Zimbabwe have the honour of being the first nation to host Bangladesh as full members of the ICC. Over the next four weeks, the two teams will play each other in a one-day series consisting of three matches and a two-match Test series.

Zimbabwe must, for the first time in their nine-year career as a Test-playing country, be considered firm favourites. This is not to denigrate Bangladesh, but merely an acknowledgement that experience counts as much as ability in international cricket, and Zimbabwe, after playing 48 Test matches, have an overwhelming advantage over the tourists, who have played one. In addition, Bangladesh have had very little first-class experience against external opposition, far less than Zimbabwe had when they achieved Test status.

They have a little more experience in one-day internationals, thanks to the ICC decision to give them official one-day status several years ago, an advantage Zimbabwe never had. But their 41 matches, only one of which has been played since they were awarded Test status last July, is not much compared to Zimbabwe's 181.

The two teams have met on only four occasions in the past and Zimbabwe have won them all, three of them heavily. The exception was a dead match in a triangular tournament also including Kenya in Bangladesh two years ago. Zimbabwe were rather overconfident, despite resting key players in preparation for the final, and conceded an opening partnership of 170 between the unrelated Mehrab Hossain (101) and Shahriar Hossain (68) – the latter is unavailable for this tour due to illness. Only a fighting innings of 97 from the then captain Alistair Campbell saved his team from a humiliating defeat and brought victory by a mere three wickets.

Are Zimbabwe overconfident now? If you ask the players, they would doubtless deny it, pointing out that they know how easy it is to slip up by taking opponents too lightly and so on. They may talk about the unaccustomed pressure they feel as favourites to win and how they will be working hard to ensure they can handle it, and that they realize the dangers of underestimating the opposition. Yet there is one disturbing factor that would suggest that they are doing just that.

There was a distinct shortage of national players at the match between the CFX Academy and the Bangladeshis on Wednesday. One player did drop in, but only briefly; I saw no others. Coach Carl Rackemann was there, but none of his players. The team cannot claim to know much about the tourists, having played them only four times, and captain Heath Streak played in only one of those matches. How well have Zimbabwe done their homework? Have they done any significant homework at all? One would have thought that they would have been very keen to suss out the opposition in the only opportunity they will have before Saturday's opening one-day international.

It is still unlikely, but it is just possible that Bangladesh might give Zimbabwe a shock in at least one of their matches. The gulf of experience between the teams and Zimbabwe's hunger for victories at the top level would suggest that Zimbabwe will win all the matches by reasonable margins. They may yet regret their failure to study their opponents beforehand.

The Zimbabwe squad of 14 is as follows:

Heath Streak (capt)                Grant Flower
Guy Whittall (vice-capt)           Doug Marillier
Andy Blignaut                      Brian Murphy
Alistair Campbell                  David Mutendera
Stuart Carlisle                    Bryan Strang
Dion Ebrahim                       Dirk Viljoen
Andy Flower                        Brighton Watambwa

Mluleki Nkala is another omission due to injury, as he has strained an intercostals muscle and can bat but not bowl. Guy Whittall is in the same position, and his knee injury is likely to prevent him from bowling for at least two months, according to reports, so he will play as a specialist batsman.

Eddo Brandes has been in superb bowling form, but he is 38 and the selectors no doubt prefer to play younger players when they are fit, especially against Bangladesh. Travis Friend is still not back to full fitness, while the selectors preferred the incumbent leg-spinner Brian Murphy, who has much more batting potential than his record suggests, to Paul Strang, who is now fully fit again.

The perennially unlucky Gavin Rennie also misses out on a place, as does Trevor Madondo, who has not been among the runs in the Logan Cup. Gus Mackay's failure with the ball and misadventures in the field in Australia have probably brought his brief international career at the age of 33 to a close. There is no more whole-hearted trier, but his persistent verbal aggression, to use polite language, has lost him support among many who respect the spirit of the game.

Experienced players who have not been recalled include Gary Brent, Craig Evans, Pommie Mbangwa and Craig Wishart. All have done well in the Logan Cup, and their omission points to the greater depth in Zimbabwe cricket. Mark Vermeulen, with one one-day cap, is another Logan Cup success who was overlooked.

Andy Blignaut, finally fit again, returns to the one-day team and may relish the Bangladeshis. His talent is spoken of by many as being awesome, but he still has to answer the doubts of those who question his desire, determination and commitment. He is aware of the problem and will seek to answer it.

Doug Marillier, now a household name to many who saw his unique strokeplay against Glenn McGrath, of all people, in Australia, keeps his place, and David Mutendera, after good Logan Cup form, gets another chance at international level. Bryan Strang was written off as an international bowler for years by many, except on helpful pitches, but his efforts on the Indian and Australian pitches show that he can be a vital member of the side, especially for containing the opposition, in any conditions now.

There are two interesting newcomers who have thoroughly earned their chances. Pace bowler Brighton Watambwa was profiled in issue 18 of the magazine; he is one of the fastest bowlers in the country and has been a consistent threat to the opposition in the Logan Cup and Zimbabwe Board XI matches.

Dion Ebrahim is one of the few genuine candidates from the Asian community in Zimbabwe at present, and were it not for the wealth of middle-order batting talent he would surely have had his chance already. It is possible that he may be tried opening the innings in this series. He is a thoroughly likeable and modest young man with all the strokes and a sound temperament that rises to a crisis. He is an outstanding role model to his community, which desperately needs a role model at present, and indeed for the country as a whole. All who know him will hope for his success, and hopefully he will be an inspiration to other young Asian players in the country.

It will be a most interesting tour. Bangladesh would surely prefer to learn their Test cricket in Zimbabwe rather than Australia or South Africa, for example, but, as one of their correspondents intimated, they are here to learn rather than to win. Zimbabwe will be keen to add some more Test victories to their meagre total of three in 48 matches, and to obtain a clean sweep in the one-day series. But are they taking the opposition too lightly? They just might get a bit of a shock. There is a lot of talent in the Bangladeshi team, and once they gain confidence and learn how to use it to best advantage, this nation of approaching 150 million people will not be a pushover for anybody.

© Cricinfo