NEW DELHI: With England set to defend it's ODI World Cup title later this year in India, skipper Jos Buttler is looking forward to the upcoming limited overs series in Bangladesh, which the skipper feels will help them prepare for cricket's biggest extravaganza.
Relishing the challenge of facing Bangladesh on low and slow wickets, Buttler said that he is expecting difficult conditions and it is exactly what the team wants.
England will take on the Tigers in a three-match ODI series starting March 1. The first two ODIs will be played at Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on March 1 and 3, before the third and final encounter at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on March 6.
"This is the conditions that would probably be the closest we can get to play in India," Buttler told reporters in his first press conference since the team arrived on Thursday.
"That's the kind of challenge we want as a team to test ourselves in tough conditions."
Three Twenty20 internationals will follow, the first in Chittagong on March 9 and the others back in the capital on March 12 and 14.
England, the world champions in both formats, are the only visitors to win an ODI series in Bangladesh since 2015.
Australia and New Zealand have both lost Twenty20 series against Bangladesh in the recent past after they were unable to cope with the hosts' slow wickets.
But Buttler did not want to count on past successes and emphasised the strength of his current squad.
"That's long time ago," Buttler said of England's win in their last ODI series in the country in 2016 -- when Bangladesh also recorded their maiden Test victory against the visitors,
"Bangladesh have a good record at home. We have some very good players in our team. We are excited for the challenge," he said.
Buttler himself was the top scorer in last year's Indian Premier League, when he smashed 863 runs for the Rajasthan Royals.
"We have a lot of guys in the last few years exposed to playing in sub-continent conditions," added.
At least two England players, Dawid Malan and Moeen Ali, played in the Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 tournament that ended earlier this month, while Buttler, Jason Roy, and Jofra Archer have previously done so.
Newly-called up Will Jacks, who will replace injured Tom Abell, was the tournament's leading scorer in the 2021-22 season.
(With inputs from AFP)
