Bangladesh may have bowed out with a heart-breaking loss to Pakistan on Tuesday, but the World Twenty 20 shifts into a higher gear today as the Super Eights round kicks-off an intense battle for the semifinal berths.
The preliminary league, which ended on Tuesday, separated the men from the boys as Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Ireland all exited the competition. Interestingly, all eight seeded teams will contest the second round, divided into two groups with the top two from each half advancing to the semifinals.
The Super Eights will kick-off with a double header as hosts Sri Lanka take on New Zealand. And in Pallekelle West Indies will take on England.
The road to the Super Eights was bumpy for some, a smooth ride for others, and with monsoon rains set to add to the uncertainty, the next round promises another roller coaster ride.
Australia, South Africa, India and Pakistan, clubbed together for the Super Eights in the ‘group of death’, all came through unscathed by winning both their preliminary matches.
But in the other half, defending champions England, New Zealand and hosts Sri Lanka moved up with just one win each, with the West Indies going through without even winning a game.
Darren Sammy’s Caribbean stars lost to Australia and then had their match against Ireland abandoned by rain, allowing them to scrape through with a superior run-rate over the Irish.
England had won the last edition in 2010 after a similar winless start in the preliminary round, but Sammy refused to derive any consolation from that.
“I am aware of what happened back in 2010, but the most important thing is that we have got to do well in the Super Eights,” the West Indies captain said.
“We have to keep improving our game and hopefully we can go out there and express what we have with us.”
-With The Daily Star input
