Tigers eye victory over Proteas to boost Super Eight hopes

Bangladesh is eager to compete against South Africa in their second T20 World Cup match, aiming to strengthen their position for entry into the Super Eight stage.

The match is scheduled to begin at 8:30pm (Bangladesh time) at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Monday (June 10).

Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka by two wickets in their first match in this ongoing World Cup. Despite kicking off with a victory, concerns linger in the Tiger camp regarding their batting performance. However, collecting the full two points from their opening match will provide additional boost for Bangladesh against South Africa.

Bangladesh have yet to notch a win in eight encounters against South Africa in this format. However, this time, the Tigers are brimming with confidence to break the cycle of defeat. 

South Africa secured victories against Sri Lanka and the Netherlands in the group stage. However, the Proteas encountered challenges on the slow wicket to secure victories in both matches. Extensive criticism surrounding the New York pitch has led the International Cricket Council (ICC) to undertake significant measures to enhance its condition. However, if the wicket remains slow, Bangladesh could gain a significant advantage from the condition.

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said, "Our match against South Africa will take place after the India-Pakistan match in New York. We will have a chance to get a preview of the condition of the pitch from that game."

"No matter what the wicket is, I believe that we have the capability to defeat any team if we perform to the best of our abilities," Shanto added.

Shanto is gaining confidence due to the outstanding performance of the bowlers, who have been consistently delivering exceptional results. However, the team's batting failures have often overshadowed the achievements of the bowlers.

In praising all the bowlers in the team, Shanto said, "Our bowlers have been in great form recently. They can destroy any batting line-up in the world. I believe that they will be able to maintain it in the coming years as well."

Concerning the  problems of the batters, especially in the top order, he said, "Though there is apprehension regarding our batting, I am not overly concerned. Don't expect all the batter to burn at once. However, there is still room for improvement in our batting performance. We are dedicated to working hard to address the challenges faced by our batters."

Bangladesh Squad: Tanzid Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Litton Das(w), Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Towhid Hridoy, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman, Mahedi Hasan, Tanvir Islam, Shoriful Islam, Jaker Ali