Dangerous, yet outsiders: Group 2’s weakest collide

Both Pakistan and Bangladesh will be confident of starting campaign with win

KOLKATA: Bangladesh will look to compound the misery of beleaguered Pakistan on Wednesday in their opening group match of the World T20, fresh from humbling their arch-rivals in the Asia Cup.

Despite their recent improvements in 50-over cricket, Bangladesh have a rotten record in the World T20 and have never beaten Pakistan in the premier tournament of cricket’s shortest format.

But they will fancy their chances like never before at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens against a team who are on a miserable run and whose preparations have been hit by their late arrival in India in a row over security.





Bangaladesh cruised through last week’s preliminary round and know that a victory over Pakistan will set them up nicely if they are to make the semi-finals for the first time.

Star batsman Tamim Iqbal is in the form of his life, scoring Bangladesh’s first ever T20I century in Sunday’s victory over Oman after scores of 83 and 47 in the first two games.

Fans in the cricket-mad nation held impromptu street parties earlier this month when Bangladesh clinched a five-wicket win over Pakistan in Dhaka, sealing a place in the final of the Asia Cup which they lost to India.



Mashrafe Mortaza’s side can expect strong support from their fellow Bengalis in what is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal.

But Shahid Afridi said Pakistan had a good record at Eden Gardens, including a convincing victory over India in an ODI in January 2013. “We have very good memories over here and we are pretty confident,” he told reporters in Kolkata.

Afridi landed himself in hot water at the weekend when he said he had received more love from fans in India than back home, comments that incensed former Pakistan skipper Javed Miandad among many others back home.

Bangladesh’s build-up has been serene in comparison. But after seeing off Oman, the Netherlands and Ireland in the preliminaries, Mortaza knows the hard work begins in a group that also includes India, Australia and New Zealand.

“In that group you can’t make any mistakes, you have to be up to the mark everywhere,” said the veteran bowler.



Bangladesh not the same, says Waqar

Coach Waqar Younis has said everyone should accept that Bangladesh have improved over the last two years and they have shown that improvement against the top sides.

“Bangladesh have improved a lot recently and they are playing very good cricket,” said Waqar. “It’s good for world cricket and for Bangladesh. In the last two years, they have played well against us, against India and even against South Africa.”

The 44-year-old added that Pakistan will not be taking their opponents lightly. “We have plenty of respect for them, but this is a big stage with different conditions [than the ones in the Asia Cup],” he said. “We’re hopeful and positive that we’ll play really good cricket in the opener against them.”

According to Pakistan team’s media manager Agha Akbar, Afridi is feeling much better and is likely to feature in the opener despite being struck with flu. Fast-bowler Mohammad Sami is also on the path to recovery curve but has not recovered enough and is unlikely to feature in the match against Bangladesh.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16^th, 2016.

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