DHAKA, June 8, 2026 (BSS) - Australia captain Josh Inglis has singled out Bangladesh pace sensation Nahid Rana as a major threat ahead of the three-match ODI series, citing him " really tough work for us all.'

Nahid Rana's raw pace has earned widespread attention in international cricket of late as he led Bangladesh some major victories in Test format. 

"I haven't seen a hell of a lot of him, but what I have seen, he looks a really good bowler and a really exciting prospect," Inglis said of Nahid Rana.

"He's tall and he bowls fast, so it's a pretty nice combination to have. He's going to be really tough work for us all."

But Inglis said Australia were excited to play in Bangladesh, a venue that remains relatively unexplored for many members of the touring squad.

"We don't play Bangladesh very often, especially over here in Bangladesh. It's my first time here and I know it's a lot of the other guys' too. We're incredibly excited about this series," he said.

The Australian skipper said his team was still assessing the conditions before finalizing the playing XI but indicated that recent matches in Bangladesh suggested seam bowlers could enjoy more assistance than spinners.

"We've had a look at the New Zealand series that was here. There looked to be a bit more grass on the wicket and the new ball tended to do a bit. It seemed more seam-friendly rather than spin-heavy. We'll take that into account, but we're ready for anything," he said.

Australia will enter the series without several senior players, including Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh. Inglis felt their absence but viewed the tour as an important opportunity to test younger cricketers ahead of next year's ICC Cricket World Cup in South Africa.

"Anytime you take Mitch Marsh and Travis Head out of the team, you lose something because they're incredibly good players. But it's important that some younger guys get experience in these conditions. There is a World Cup on the horizon and it's important to look at different combinations before then," he said.

Inglis also backed Australia's pace attack despite suggestions that Bangladesh's bowlers could hold an advantage in home conditions.

"You take some big names out of our squad, but players like Nathan Ellis, Xavier Bartlett and Ben Dwarshuis have gained a fair bit of experience at this level. 

They're exciting bowlers and I'm looking forward to seeing what they can do in this series," he added.

The wicketkeeper-batter singled out Nathan Ellis as a key figure in Australia's bowling plans, praising his versatility and ability to operate in all phases of an innings.

"Nathan's a really key player in our side. He's incredibly skillful and can bowl in all three phases of the game. I expect him to play a huge part in this series," Inglis said.

He also admitted the threat posed by Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain, who enjoyed a successful stint in Australia's Big Bash League.

"He's a very good bowler. A few of our guys have seen plenty of him in the Big Bash and we'll definitely be having conversations about him," he said.

Despite Bangladesh's limited success against Australia in ODIs, Inglis dismissed any notion of an easy series, describing the hosts as a balanced and dangerous side in familiar conditions.

"I think it's always challenging when we play Bangladesh. They're a very well-rounded side and obviously you're in your home conditions. A lot of us haven't been here before, but we have immense belief. I think it's going to be a really good series," he added.