T20 World Cup
T20 World Cup: Cornered Tigers eye to bounce back vs England
Determined to bounce back Bangladesh are all set to take on England in their second Super 12s match of the ongoing T20 World Cup on Wednesday at Abu Dhabi.
The match is scheduled to start at 4 pm Bangladesh time.
The Tigers have lost their first Super 12s match against Sri Lanka despite posting a big total of 171. Two missed catches cost a lot for Mahmudullah Riyad and his team. Now, the Tigers are eying to play their best cricket in their first-ever T20 International against strong England.
“We know that England are a very powerful batting line-up. We have to be on our A-game if we want to challenge them and ultimately win the game,” Ottis Gibson, the bowling coach of Bangladesh, told the reporters on Tuesday.
While Bangladesh lost their first match against Sri Lanka, England beat the West Indies in a low-scoring affair, and made a flying start to the World Cup.
Read:ICC T20 World Cup 2021: How Bangladesh can qualify for the semis
“The key is to be accurate with what we deliver and back ourselves. We know they will come out hard, but they also give you chances. They lost four wickets chasing 55 against West Indies. It is something that we can use as a positive. We must be at our best, but we know that they will give us opportunities to take wickets,” Gibson added.
Mohammad Naim, who is playing his maiden World Cup, hit a fifty against Sri Lanka, and Mushfiqur Rahim also scored a fifty in the same match. Riding on their batting efforts, Bangladesh posted 171 for seven, but it was chased by Sri Lanka after Liton Das missed two easy catches. Before another World Cup fixture, Bangladesh are worried about their outfield works.
“One or two catches get dropped in every cricket match. Obviously, when the catches play a part in the result, it is highlighted more, but we do a lot of catching practice. When the guys are out in the middle under pressure, mistakes like catches going down happen,” Gibson further added.
Apart from missing catches, Liton Das has been going through a bad patch for a while now. But the team management seems to be confident of Liton doing well in the coming matches. The right-handed batter has been considered one of the best that Bangladesh has ever produced, but he is yet to prove his mettle.
In the match against Sri Lanka, premium Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman conceded 22 runs but failed to take any wicket. His off-form came as a matter of concern for the Bangladesh team management. But Gibson believed the pacer has the ability to adapt to the condition and do well.
Bangladesh have previously played 21 ODIs against England and won four of them, and they also played 10 Tests and won one of them.
While England won a T20 World Cup before, Bangladesh never won a match in the Super 12s stage of the T20 World Cups. This piece of history proves that the difference between these two teams stands high.
Read:ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh, England face off on Oct 27
Bangladesh beat Oman and Papua New Guinea to advance to the Super 12s, but they had to endure a defeat to Scotland. The Tigers need to win at least three matches at the Super 12s in order to advance to the semi-finals of the World Cups for the first time in their history.
Bangladesh’s probable XI vs England:
Mohammad Naim, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Nasum Ahmed, and Mustafizur Rahman.
Afghanistan beat Scotland by 130 runs in T20 World Cup
Offspinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman and legspinner Rashid Khan bowled Scotland for 60 as Afghanistan started the T20 World Cup with a massive 130-run victory Monday.
Mujeeb claimed three wickets in an over to finish with 5-20 while Rashid (4-9) ran through the tail quickly to dismiss Scotland in just 10.2 overs and raise Afghanistan's biggest win in a T20.
Afghanistan had earlier posted a daunting total of 190-5 after skipper Mohammad Nabi won the toss and elected to bat.
READ: Mujeeb rattles Scotland with three-wicket over
All of Afghanistan's top-order batsmen were among the runs and hit big sixes with Najibullah Zadran leading the way by scoring 59 off 34 balls.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (46) smashed four sixes while opening batsman Hazratullah Zazai (44) hit three sixes and three fours to set the tone for a big total.
READ: Youth ODI Series: Hosts Sri Lanka whitewash Bangladesh 5-0
Mujeeb rattles Scotland with three-wicket over
Chasing 191, Scotland raced to 27 in three overs but Afghan right-arm off-break bowler Mujeeb pegged them back in the UAE's Sharjah in Super 12 game at the T20 World Cup Monday.
Kyle Coetzer was the first to go, bowled through the gate with a googly. On the next ball, he trapped Calum MacLeod lbw with yet another googly.
Richie Berrington survived the hat-trick ball but he lasted only two more balls as Mujeeb's googly snared him as well.
READ: Youth ODI Series: Hosts Sri Lanka whitewash Bangladesh 5-0
Earlier, Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat in their opening Super 12 game against in-form Scotland. They finished with 190 for 4.
Najibullah was the top scorer with 59 off 34 balls and was out on the last ball of the innings. Nabi smashed 11* off four balls towards the end as Afghanistan ransacked 63 from the last five overs.
Scotland was on a high after upsetting Bangladesh in the qualifiers before beating Papua New Guinea and co-host Oman to advance.
Experienced Mohammad Nabi is leading Afghanistan, which has played just three T20s since March last year but he said victory against West Indies in a warm-up game was "really good."
Nabi was named captain after Rashid Khan stepped down minutes after Afghanistan's squad was announced, saying the selectors were not consulting him.
READ: Afghanistan wins toss, elects to bat against Scotland
Scotland skipper Kyle Coetzer said he was happy to bowl first.
Pakistan, which crushed arch-rival India by 10 wickets on Sunday, New Zealand and Namibia are the other teams in the group.
Afghanistan wins toss, elects to bat against Scotland
Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat in its opening Super 12 game against in-form Scotland at the T20 World Cup on Monday.
Scotland is on a high after upsetting Bangladesh in the qualifiers before beating Papua New Guinea and co-host Oman to advance.
Experienced Mohammad Nabi will lead Afghanistan, which has played just three T20s since March last year but he said victory against West Indies in a warm-up game was “really good”.
Nabi was named captain after Rashid Khan stepped down minutes after Afghanistan’s squad was announced, saying the selectors were not consulting him.
Scotland skipper Kyle Coetzer said he was happy to bowl first.
Pakistan, which crushed arch-rival India by 10 wickets on Sunday, New Zealand and Namibia are the other teams in the group.
T20 World Cup : Three Things Bangladesh Must Address Before England Match
There was a lot of expectation before Bangladesh's super 12 round match against Sri Lanka. Bangladesh were a better team than Sri Lanka on paper. However, Sri Lanka executed their tactics well and triumphed with 7 balls to spare when pursuing a 172-run target. Bangladesh should also bear some of the responsibility. They were below par in fielding and bowling. Team Tigers must come up with a more effective plan when playing England in their upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2021 match.
Things to consider before Bangladesh's 2nd Super 12 Fixture of T20 World Cup
A lot of things went wrong in the encounter against Sri Lanka. The captaincy of Mahmudullah Riyad is the most noteworthy. Bangladesh also missed a number of vital catches, and some of their bowlers were ineffective. These issues should be addressed prior to the important England clash.
Read: T20 WC: Poor fielding, bowling cost Tigers in first Super 12 match
Two changes are required in the playing XI
At least two changes in the Bangladesh team are needed for the next match. Mohammad Naim's opening partner Liton Das should be dropped for the tie against England due to a string of setbacks. He got off to a good start against Sri Lanka but was eventually dismissed for 16 runs. On the other hand, Mohammad Naim made it to the end of the innings and played a 62-run knock. Soumya Sarkar or Mahadi Hasan can take Liton's spot.
In addition, medium-pacer Mohammad Saifuddin had a dismal bowling performance. Saifuddin stepped in to bowl the 18th over and conceded 22 runs when the match's fate was on the line. After that, the Lankans had entire control of the match. There was no variation in Saifuddin's bowling. Rather, he aided the opposition batters to score with consistent full-length and full-toss deliveries. Left-arm pacer Shariful Islam should be included in the playing XI instead.
Read Pakistan beat India by 10 wkts, for maiden WC win against archrivals
Captaincy should be diverse
Mahmudullah's captaincy has received a lot of criticism. Many experts think that Mahmudullah isn't doing enough as a skipper. He is also not making good judgments when it comes to bowling changes. Riyad is unable to pick the appropriate bowler in time. Therefore, Bangladesh lost matches against Scotland and Sri Lanka due to his inefficient leadership.
For example, Mahmudullah handed over the bowl to Afif Hossain to bowl the 13th over despite Shakib having two overs left in the play against the Lankans. The Sri Lankan batters took control of the situation and scored 15 runs in that over. Mahmudullah bowled the following over and gave away 16 runs. Sri Lanka put themselves in a great position by scoring 31 runs in two successive overs. If Nasum Ahmed had been attacked, there would have been a chance to take a wicket.
Read T20 World Cup: Pakistan off to a solid start chasing India’s 151
Experts believe Mahmudullah made multiple mistakes against Sri Lanka. Riyad is expected to be a more mature captain for Bangladesh.
Fielding needs to be improved
Bangladesh's fielding was poor in the match against Sri Lanka. Particularly, Liton Das helped Sri Lanka's win by dropping two simple catches. He failed to take Rajapaksa's catch in the 13th over in the square leg region. Two over later, Liton dropped Asalanka in the sweeper cover area bowled by Mustafizur Rahman.
So, dropping those two catches was one of the reasons for Bangladesh's loss against Sri Lanka. Bangladesh's fielders must be more aggressive in order to win the match against a strong England team, and no catch must be dropped.
Read: Pakistan beat India by 10 wkts, for maiden WC win against archrivals
Bottom Line
Bangladesh's team management should be aware of their preferred playing XI. Understanding the pitch's nature and the venue's recent records is crucial for this. Some pitches are better for seamers, while others are better for spinners. Batters must step up if they are playing on a batting-friendly surface in order to score more freely and relieve pressure on the bowlers.
Captain Mahmudullah Riyad and head coach Russell Domingo have a big task ahead of them in order to get the team back on track. Bangladesh will play England at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday (October 27), which could help the batsmen. This match will be crucial in order to qualify for the semi-finals of ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Therefore, the team Tigers will have to put up a special performance against the English team to win the contest.
Read Pakistan wins toss and bowls against archrival India
Pakistan beat India by 10 wkts, for maiden WC win against archrivals
Finally, Pakistan have won a match against India in a World Cup!
India and Pakistan, the arch-rivals, took the field on Sunday aiming to crush each other in the cricket field once again. Every time Pakistan aimed the same before in a World Cup, they had to endure a defeat. But this time, they finally bounced back to turn history their way— beating India by a big margin of 10 wickets on Sunday at Dubai.
It was the first match in the Super 12s stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup for both teams.
T20 World Cup: Pakistan off to a solid start chasing India’s 151
Pakistan are off to a solid start while chasing a challenging target of 152 against India in their first match of the Super 12s stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup in Dubai.
Pakistan won the toss and opted to bowl first in this match. India posted 151 for seven in 20 overs, with the captain Virat Kohli hitting the highest 57 off 49 balls with five fours and one six.
Read: Shakib emerges highest wicket-taker in T20 World Cup
Pakistan got a great start when Shaheen Afridi removed Rohit Sharma for a duck. The pacer ended up taking three wickets conceding 31 in four overs. The other pacer, Hasan Ali, conceded 44 runs to take two wickets.
In reply, Pakistan scored 71 for none at the end of the 10th overs, with captain Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan were batting at 36 and 35 respectively.
Read: T20 WC: Naim hits his second World Cup fifty
T20 WC: Poor fielding, bowling cost Tigers in first Super 12 match
Bangladesh were outplayed by Sri Lanka in their first match of the Super 12s of the ongoing T20 World Cup at Sharjah on Sunday.
Sri Lanka needed to score 172 to seal this match and register a flying start to the Super 12s, and they did it in style as Bangladesh missed two crucial catches of Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Charith Asalanka when they were batting at 17 and 63 respectively.
“Had we not missed those catches, the story would have been better,” Mahmudullah said after the match, “Batters did a great job. Liton and Naim gave us a very good start. Mushfiqur played a brilliant innings. We lost a few chances. Would like to correct those things in the next game.”
After getting lives from Liton Das’ sloppy hands, Rajapaksa scored 36 and Asalanka added 17 more runs, and eventually sealed the match for Sri Lanka.
It was only the third time when Bangladesh lost a T20I match after scoring 171 or more while batting first. On two of those three occasions, Bangladesh lost to Sri Lanka.
Read: T20 WC: Naim hits his second World Cup fifty
Apart from missing catches, Mohammad Saifuddin’s third over was also one of the main reasons behind Bangladesh’s defeat. The right-arm pacer gave away 22 runs with two sixes and two fours in the 16th over.
Pakistan wins toss and bowls against archrival India
Pakistan won the toss and chose to field against archrival India in its opening Super 12 match on Sunday at the T20 World Cup.
India has so far won all five of its previous T20 World Cup matches against Pakistan.
Both teams went with three fast bowlers and two spinners with India leaving out Rahul Chahar and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Pakistan left out young batter Haider Ali and preferred the experience of Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez in the middle order.
Read: Shakib emerges highest wicket-taker in T20 World Cup
India captain Virat Kohli said he wanted his team to stay focused and professional, saying “don’t get overawed.”
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam expects dew in the second half of the match and was looking for early wickets to put India under pressure.
New Zealand, Afghanistan, Namibia and Scotland are the other teams in Group 2.
Read: T20 WC: Naim hits his second World Cup fifty
Teams:
India: KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (captain), Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakravarthy, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf.
Shakib emerges as highest wicket-taker in T20 World Cups
Bangladesh’s all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan emerged as the highest wicket-taker in the history of ICC T20 World Cups, as he took his 40th and 41st wickets in the tournament’s ongoing edition against Sri Lanka at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
He earned the feat with his 40th wicket by bowling out Panthum Nissanka, 24, of Sri Lanka in the first ball of his 2nd over, leaving the Island nation for 71 for 2 in 8.1 overs.
Shakib further improved his record of grabbing 41 wickets bowling out Avishka Fernando for a duck in his 4th ball of the same over (2nd over) with scoreboard showing 71 for 3 in the 8.4 overs.
Earlier on Thursday, Shakib Al Hasan drew level with the record of Pakistan legend Shahid Afridi, taking 39 wickets in T20 World Cups.
Read: ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Shakib Al Hasan Reaches Three Unique Milestones
Afridi took 39 wickets in 34 matches of the T20 World Cups between 2007 and 2016. Shakib needed just 28 matches to touch Afridi’s record. He broke the record in his 29th match. Along the way, Shakib registered three four-wicket hauls, while Afridi has two four-wicket hauls.