LONDON, June 8: Bangladesh’s tour of England is not about to get any easier. Fresh from being whipped inside three days by England in both their two Tests, the tourists learned on Wednesday that they will come up against Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar in a one-day match against Worcestershire on Sunday.

It will be the pace bowler’s first appearance for the English county and, ominously for Bangladesh, it is being billed as an opportunity for him to demonstrate that Pakistan were wrong to drop him from their Test squad.

“Shoaib has settled in well since arriving last week and this game is an ideal opportunity for him to show everybody how well he is bowling,” Worcestershire chief executive Mark Newton said.

If the Bangladesh batsmen are concerned about the prospect of facing one of the fastest pace bowlers in world cricket, their management are not letting on — they agreed to let him play although his Worcestershire contract does not officially begin until July 1.

The match against the county is part of Bangladesh’s preparation for a one-day triangular series against England and Australia which starts next week.—AFP