The match will start at 1:30pm Bangladesh standard time with STARSports and state-run Bangladesh Television (BTV) beaming live coverage of the match from the Zimbabwean capital.

The Southern African nation has a healthy advantage over Habibul Bashar's men in overall matches played between the two sides, winning fourteen against the Tigers' four out of eighteen games.

But the scenario changed following the departure of the Zimbabwean front-line players and the last time the Tigers met the same opponents, they clinched their first-ever series victory, winning both the one-day (3-2) and Test (1-0), at home early last year.

The Bangladesh think-tank announced the playing eleven for the first game and they have restrained from making any experiments.

Regular wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud, who had missed the lone practice game on Wednesday due to a chest infection, was included in the team.

The bowling featured the usual format as Mashrafee Bin Mortuza shared the new ball with Shahadat Hossain while wily Mohammad Rafique will lead the spin attack along with his fellow left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak.

BANGLADESH TEAM
Habibul Bashar (captain), Shahriar Nafees, Javed Omar, Aftab Ahmed, Mohammad Ashraful, Alok Kapali, Khaled Mashud, Mohammad Rafique, Abdur Razzak, Mashrafee Bin Mortuza and Shahadat Hossain.