Bangladesh will go into their first match in the ICC World Twenty20 Super-10 today knowing that they have nothing to lose against a side, who happen to be world champions in the format.
West Indies are the only top team that Bangladesh defeated in this format, not just once but twice and the Tigers also won the last bilateral one-day international series the two teams played in 2012.
But this will give them hardly any edge over the Caribbean who will play for their survival having already suffered a comprehensive defeat against India in their first match of title defence.
Bangladesh have their own problem to sort out, coming into the game against the backdrop of a humiliating two-wicket loss to minnows Hong Kong, the latest ICC associate member to make the side their prey.
Bangladesh have overcome the situation on many occasions, most recently in the Asia Cup when they gave Pakistan a run for their money just after a shocking defeat to Afghanistan.
This is one aspect of their game that Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim wants to repeat and that too in a more polished way in order to give them a chance in the competition.
‘It’s not easy to comeback from the defeat what we had in the last game,’ Mushfiq said before the West Indies game. ‘But I think it’s a game of cricket and anything can happen, which also Hong Kong showed.
‘I think we have nothing to lose in all those matches, West Indies are the defending champions, so hopefully we will give them a very hard time,’ said Mushfiq.
The status of West Indies as holders and the standard of Bangladesh in Twenty20 format combined to lower the expectation on Tigers, something which Mushfiq believed could be a blessing in disguise for them.
Bangladesh were expected to beat West Indies in 2011 World Cup and the expectation took a heavy toll as they were dismissed for 58 runs.
The Tigers did a tit-for-tat to dismiss the Caribbean for 61 runs in a one-dayer later in the same year before winning the next series to suggest that the debacle in 2011 was just an accident. Still the expectation is low largely because of their inconsistency in the Twenty20s.
‘After the 2011 World Cup we played lot of matches with them, and we also won the home series against them, so there are few good memories,’ said Mushfiq.
‘But it’s not really countable at the moment, at the moment the only thing that is countable is that we need to play well.
‘It’s their second game, so it’s a must-win game for them. If we can put up a good show and rectify our mistakes, and execute our plans in the middle there is every chance that we will win tomorrow,’ he said.
The Tigers, who will be looking for a gift for the nation ahead of the 43rd Independence Day, mulls several changes from the line-up that played the Hong Kong game.
Ziaur Rahman is one change expected in place of Farhad Reza and Mushfiq indicated they might include Sohag Gazi as well.
Gazi have some physiological edge over Chris Gayle, whom he made his bunny in the last series.
Mashrafee bin Murtaza, who also teased Gayle few times in the series, also could make a return for injured Rubel Hossain.
If Mashrafee plays in place of Rubel, Abdur Razzak or Sabbir Rahman could make way for Sohag.
With Mominul Haque watching all three first round games from the dugout, he also can make it to the team should the Tigers decide to drop both Razzak and Sabbir.
-With New Age input
