The new Asian cricket force, Afghanistan, are yet to get a point in the ongoing ICC Men’s World Cup in England and Wales. They will surely invest all of their strength in the game against on Monday.
“My job is to make sure we concentrate on our game. If you take it more as a do-or-die it will create pressure on the players. We just need to be smart and play our own game. Playing own game will increase our chance to seal the match,” Rhodes told the media on Sunday.
Rhodes also said taking too much pressure might prevent his team to have the result that they badly want.
“We need to play well. If we play well we will have a good chance to win the game. If we try too hard, and if we put too much pressure on us, I afraid we might not get the result that we want,” Bangladesh coach added.
It was the last edition of the Asia Cup when Bangladesh met Afghanistan. Two Asian sided faced off each other twice in the Asia Cup and came up victorious in one apiece. However, Afghanistan failed to display their prowess in the World Cup yet as they played six games and lost all of them.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, played six games and won two of them- against South Africa and West Indies. Despite enduring losses against New Zealand, England and Australia, Bangladesh played a good brand of cricket that proved they are in the World Cup to make a statement.
However, Bangladesh coach rated Afghanistan as a tough team and he praised their performance against India, in which, India narrowly spaced the scare that almost brought their heart on the mouth.
Now, Bangladesh are keen to secure a semi-finals berth, given the current circumstances, which is not an easy target for the Tigers. To keep the dream of semi-finals alive, Bangladesh have to win the game against Afghanistan. At the same time, they have to replicate the same result against India and Pakistan.