Tigers dust off heartbreak for crucial Dutch clash
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A win in this clash for any of these sides will put them in the mix of going into the Super Eight phase of the tournament
The Bangladesh cricket team will look to start afresh and keep their Super Eight chances alive when they take on the Netherlands in Saint Vincent Thursday in the next group game of the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup.
Pitted in Group D, both the Tigers and the Dutch are on two points from as many matches.
A win in this clash for any of these sides will put them in the mix of going into the Super Eight phase of the tournament.
Bangladesh reached Saint Vincent for their last two group stage encounters.
The Tigers went to the airport straight after their four-run loss to South Africa in New York last Monday.
The side will have their only practice session at the Arnos Vale Wednesday morning.
Following delay in the flight schedule, Bangladesh reached the island nation where their aim will simply be to win against the Netherlands to be in the race of going through to the next round of the 20-nation competition.
Having started the tournament with a win against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh could have been in a dominating position in the group had they not lost the golden opportunity of grabbing a victory against South Africa.
An impressive bowling effort had restricted the Proteas to just 113 runs at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.
Despite yet another top-order failure, the Tigers had almost reached their destination if not for the late debacle at the business end of the game.
Bangladesh needed 20 runs in the last three overs but eventually came up short.
The team think-tank has admitted their concerns with the underperforming top-order.
They are also speaking of the remedies to overcome the matter but are failing in execution.
Bangladesh in the previous game had benched Soumya Sarkar, got in Jaker Ali Anik in the middle-order and pushed captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto to open the batting with young Tanzid Hasan Tamim.
But this had also failed.
Tanzid, Liton Das and Shakib al Hasan batting at No 4 could score just nine, nine and three runs respectively, while Shanto only barely hit the double digit, making 14.
Given that it has been just one game with the change in the playing XI, there is less chance of Bangladesh bringing an alteration when facing the Netherlands at Arnos Vale Stadium.
A formless Shakib has an been issue and though the opinion in general is strong to replace the all-rounder in the XI, such a decision is absolutely unlikely.
The most experienced campaigner Shakib is simply irreplaceable.
The Netherlands are at a similar position in the table having won one in two matches played.
The Dutch also got off to a winning start defeating Nepal by six wickets.
Till date, Bangladesh faced the Netherlands in four T20 Internationals and won three.
The last game between the two sides was two years ago, in the T20 World Cup 2022 held in Australia.
Bangladesh XI [probable]:
Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Liton Das, Shakib al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah, Jaker Ali Anik, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mustafizur Rahman