HARARE, July 28: Kevin Curran has picked up the gauntlet thrown down by Dav Whatmore ahead of the first One-day International between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh on Saturday.

Bangladesh coach Whatmore declared his team favourites for the five-match series, although he conceded that the foreign conditions might change the odds. “That's great, let them feel that they are favourites, we always like a challenge,” Zimbabwe coach Curran told Reuters on Friday.

“If we were playing against Australia we would be struggling to think about a (positive) result, but in this game we know we can match them in all departments. It's all about half-chances, and what happens on the day.”

Zimbabwe are currently ninth in the International Cricket Council's (ICC) one-day rankings, two points ahead of Bangladesh with Kenya bringing up the rear in 11th place.

Bangladesh have won five of their last 10 one-day internationals, with four of those wins achieved against minnows Kenya.

Zimbabwe have won four of their last 11 matches, one of which was washed out. Kenya, Bermuda and Canada were Zimbabwe's victims.

Curran said he was heartened by his team's performances against Bermuda and Canada, who are among the ICC's associate members, when they played them in a tournament in Trinidad in May.

“We were fairly clinical against Bermuda and Canada, we proved there is a difference between playing against the associate countries and playing against full member countries,” Curran said.

Zimbabwe have won 14 of the 18 one-day internationals they have played against Bangladesh, who won a home series against Zimbabwe 3-2 in January 2005, the last time the teams met.

Bangladesh have won just one of the five matches the sides have contested in Harare, where all of the games in the current series will be staged.

The Zimbabweans returned on Thursday from a tour of South Africa, where they lost one and won three matches against teams drawn from academies.

Captain Terry Duffin, fast bowler Ed Rainsford and all rounder Anthony Ireland, who were playing club cricket in England, also returned to Zimbabwe on Thursday.

Bangladesh started their tour well when they beat a Zimbabwe Board XI by five wickets in Harare on Thursday. Zimbabwe have yet to name their squad.

Bangladesh squad: Habibul Bashar (captain), Shahriar Ahmed, Rajin Saleh, Mohammad Ashraful, Javed Belim, Aftab Chowdhury, Shahadat Hossain, Alok Kopali, Mohammed Mashud, Masrafe Mortaza, Mohammed Rafique, Syed Rasel, Abdur Razzak, Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammed Rahim, Mohammed Reza. —Reuters