Bangladesh eye to tremble Proteas in a must win game
BCB
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Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan believes his team has a slight advantage going into the match against South Africa, who are currently under pressure to make the T20 World semifinals after sharing points with Zimbabwe.
South Africa was leading Zimbabwe in their first match when the game was called off due to persistent rain in Hobart before the D/L method was implemented.
According to Shakib, the Proteas now know that a win against Bangladesh is mandatory, which may put mental pressure on them.
"South Africa will feel the pressure because they lost a point against Zimbabwe. So Bangladesh match is kind of a do or die game for them," Shakib said ahead of the match.
"It's the thing that will keep them under pressure. It's an important game for us also. So we'll try to take everything under our control" he added.
Bangladesh began their mission with a 9-run victory over the Netherlands. Even though the margin suggests that Bangladesh struggled for victory, the reality is that their bowling attack was so superior that victory came easily.
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It's a win that kept Bangladesh in good mental stead after a series of defeats in this format ahead of the World Cup.
"The victory was important, no matter how good or bad we played. I understand we have many loopholes which should be plugged. We want to improve and there is no end of improvement. There is a role for every player in the team and as long as they can play their role well, execute the plan, I think there is every reason that we can win against any opponents."
Bangladesh have recently had ODI success against South Africa.
In March of this year, the Tigers won their first series against the Proteas in their own backyard. Bangladesh also easily defeated South Africa in the 2019 ICC Men's 50-over World Cup.
Shakib believes that those memories, combined with the support of Bangladeshi expats in Sydney, will suffice tomorrow.
"There is no denying that they have a few world-class players in their side. But the game will be played with bat and ball and we will try to put in our best performance. We have some good memories against them, albeit in a different format, but we hope those will help us mentally,”
"We are also hopeful that we will get a good crowd who will support us, and hope to repay their support. As most Bangladeshi expats live in Sydney, so it will be important for us to utilise their support and perform well," Shakib said.
