Bangladesh skipper Litton Kumar Das has urged his senior batters to take greater responsibility as they look to overcome their recent struggles in ODI cricket.

Bangladesh will take on Zimbabwe in the opening match of the tri-nation series in Abu Dhabi on October 17 before facing hosts Afghanistan on October 21.

Bangladesh's batting performances against both sides in recent ODI assignments have been a cause for concern. They failed to bat through 50 overs in any of their three matches against Afghanistan in their most recent ODI series, while they also struggled to complete their innings during their previous series against Zimbabwe.

“As senior players, we have to take responsibility. We could not bat for 50 overs here (against Afghanistan in the ODIs) and we could not do it in Zimbabwe either,” Litton said. “As a batting unit, our responsibility is to make sure that those of us batting in the top six or seven can finish the game.”

Litton added that he did not want the team to dwell on past setbacks. Instead, he urged his teammates to maintain a positive mindset and focus on the challenges ahead. “What has happened previously can help us prepare and we cannot keep focusing on the fact that we played badly before and will do so again. Our mindset has to remain positive, and we will try to play positively.”

The Bangladesh skipper also believes the time is right to bring mystery spinner Aliss Al Islam into the ODI setup, saying the youngster could benefit from spending time with the national team.

Aliss made his international debut in T20 cricket against Sri Lanka at the Asian Games. His maiden ODI call-up comes on the back of an impressive domestic season in which he claimed 24 wickets in 10 matches for Prime Bank Cricket Club in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, Bangladesh's premier List A competition, to finish as the tournament's leading wicket-taker.

“Definitely, if you look at Aliss, he has been very good in white-ball cricket. He has proved himself, especially in the T20 circuit in Bangladesh,” said Litton. “I think this is the right time to bring him into the team. If he can learn a lot by staying with the team and contributing to Bangladesh, it will be beneficial for the team.”

Litton also sees the tri-nation ODI series in the UAE as an opportunity for Bangladesh to win silverware and build momentum ahead of next year's Asia Cup and ODI World Cup.

“Really, it's a big opportunity for me as a captain. We have the World Cup and Asia Cup coming up. I think this is the best preparation for us. The Asia Cup will involve five or six teams, while in a tri-series we play three teams, but the pressure and other things are similar,” said Litton, who will begin his tenure as Bangladesh's full-time ODI captain with the tournament.

Asked whether Bangladesh could go all the way and win the title, Litton was optimistic. “Definitely, if we play good cricket, why not?”