Call them minnows, call them fledglings. But with the Champions Trophy beginning tomorrow, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh will make a desperate attempt to erase the more humiliating tag: pushovers.

If Zimbabwe is recuperating from the political turmoil within, Bangladesh is known for throwing a major upset only to fade out later. And both know that this is the best opportunity to shrug off the excess mental baggage.

Zimbabwe, definitely, are the worst off. Just as they recuperate each time, there’s a crisis outside the ground, which puts them in a bigger hole. So, it will be a big challenge for coach Kevin Curran to guide the young side. “But we have been improving over the past six months,” says Curran. The lone major series they played this year was against South Africa, where they were beaten badly. This time, the African side backs themselves to beat Bangladesh, but will need one more win to qualify. The one thing going for them is they are a terrific fielding unit.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, have some good wins behind their back. But Dav Whatmore’s team have been inconsistent, and have not been able to carry their good performances over a period of time. With Whatmore handling the team for more than three years, it’s time that they delivered.

Bangla, who nearly caused a major upset against Australia at home, have it all in them. They have some good batting talent, with Sahriar Nafees, Mohammed Ashraful and Habibul Bashar forming the core and a creditable chase record — they hunted down Sri Lanka down with four wickets to spare last year. With the pitches expected to suit the batsmen, it’s imperative that they make the most of it. When it comes to the October 13 battle between the two, Bangladesh definitely hold an edge.