Although Bangladesh had never managed to reach the Super-League phase in previous four attempts, the side led by one-Test Mushfiqur Rahim have all the experience and quality at this level to make an impression.

And the young Tigers will have to maintain their recent form in their opening match against New Zealand today to ease their way to the championship stage from a group involving defending champions Pakistan and minnows Uganda.

In the other matches on the opening day, South Africa face Australia at the Sinhalese Sports Club, Scotland take on hosts Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa Stadium and Zimbabwe are pitted against Ireland at the Nondescripts Cricket Club ground.

The Kiwi-Bangladesh Group-A match will be played at the batting paradise of P Saravanamuttu Stadium, the oldest Test venue in Colombo, and the much-vaunted Bangladesh batting will have to deliver like the two warm-up games.

With hard-hitting opener Tamim Iqbal hitting an explosive hundred in their ten-wicket rout of USA and the middle order shining in a three-run win against Zimbabwe after amassing 265-7, Bangladesh are well poised to give New Zealand a run for their money.

New Zealand have lost both their warm-up games, joining neighbours Australia who suffered defeats to India and Pakistan in the warm-ups. However, New Zealand hold a better record at this level against Bangladesh, whose best finishes are winning the Plate for the bottom-half teams of the competition.

Bangladesh won the Plate in 1998 in South Africa and two years ago at home when they defeated Australia in the Plate final.

But many believe that apart from India and the in-from West Indies, Bangladesh are well equipped to go all the way. In the last few months, the squad has gelled superbly and the morale is up after two tournaments. They lost the first two matches of the

Afro-Asian Cup in India, to finalists India and Sri Lanka, but defeated Zimbabwe, Pakistan and South Africa to end on a high. The form was reflected when they clinched the title in a triangular series at home also involving England and Sri Lanka.

The preparation under Austra-lian coach Allister de Winter has been long and the selectors relied on experience, picking up 11 cricketers with first-class experience. Also, most of the cricketers' visit to Sri Lanka last year would become handy to cope up with the conditions.

Bangladesh will meet Pakistan and Uganda on February 8 and 9 respectively.

The top two teams from each of the four groups will qualify for the Super League for the Cup. The bottom two teams from each group will compete in the Plate Championship.

Bangladesh squad: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Mehrab Hossain (vice-captain), Nabil Samad, Sakib Al Hasan, Raqibul Hassan, Kazi Kamrul Islam, Rezaul Islam, Sirajullah Khadem, Tamim Iqbal, Dollar Mahmud, Shamsur Rahman, Sohrawardi Shuvo, Mehdi Hasan and Ishraq Sonnet.

Manager: Golam Mohamed Nawsher, coach: Allister de Winter.

TEAMS
GROUP-A: Pakistan, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Uganda.
GROUP-B: West Indies, South Africa, Australia, USA.
GROUP-C: India, Sri Lanka, Scotland, Namibia.
GROUP-D: England, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Nepal.