Embattled Bangladesh cricket team will face a refreshed Pakistan in their third Super-10 match in the ICC World Twenty20 today, hoping to put their recent dismal performance behind them in Dhaka. The task appears harder for Bangladesh than their last two matches against West Indies and India as the Tigers have a physiological barrier facing Pakistan. It is the only side that Bangladesh could never beat in any format since the country was awarded Test status in 2000.
Bangladesh were close to winning on many occasions, including their recent Asia Cup one-day international, when a record total was also not enough for them to overcome the barrier.
They are going to face them again when they got their backs to the wall after a series of poor performances in the preceding matches.
The expectation is all time low on the home side, who were bowled out for 108 runs against Hong Kong before West Indies and India outplayed them in both of their Super-10 matches.
In all three matches, Bangladesh’s top-order batsmen were unable to give the side a good start, putting pressure on middle and lower-order.
All-rounder Sakib al Hasan insisted there is still a chance for the home side to finish the tournament on a high.
‘I would not say we are passing a very bad time,’ Sakib said in the team’s official press conference before the Pakistan game. ‘In 2011, our goal was beating a top team and we did that. Here our first target was to qualify for the Super-10 and we achieved that.
‘Our next goal is to win at least one match at this stage. If we can do that it will be really nice,’ said Sakib.
‘Maybe we should have done a little bit better, we should have been consistent. I would still say it was not very bad.
‘We should not forget that we are playing against top teams in the world and they all are keen to win against us.
‘Since we could not play our best cricket we are now facing some problems. Now we don’t have any pressure on us for the last two matches, hopefully it will help us in giving our best,’ he said.
The all-rounder had a miserable run in the Super-10 which included a first-ball duck against the West Indies and a second-ball dismissal against India, a performance which had a clear impact on the Bangladesh team.
Sakib admitted it was not only him, a few other players were also struggling to leave the side in tatters.
‘Cricket is a team game, but at the same time it depends on some individual performances as well,’ he said. ‘Individually we could not give our best and it is hurting the side.
‘If four or five of us could do it a little better, score some runs and bowl well, maybe we would have gone into this match as a more confident side,’ he said.
-With New Age input
