We should beat South Africa and Sri Lanka in T20 WC: Mashrafe

Former Bangladesh
captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza believes that the
national cricket team has the ability to beat at least
one of the two big teams—South Africa and Sri
Lanka—in their Group D fixture to move to the next
round.

Apart from South Africa and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh
will get Nepal and Netherlands in their group. Since
two teams will move to the Super 8, Bangladesh
need three wins to be at safe position.

“We have the ability to beat South Africa and Sri
Lanka and we did in the past. So, I think we should
win against South Africa and Sri Lanka. At least we
should beat one of them,” Mashrafe said during after
a press conference on the Bangabandhu Gold Cup
International Kabaddi tournament at the
Bangladesh Olympic Association auditorium today.

While Bangladesh won five out 16 T20
Internationals against Sri Lanka, they have never
beaten South Africa in this format despite playing
eight matches against them.

“But we had won an away series against South
Africa, even though that was an ODI series. So when
we did it in ODI, that too on their own soil, why it
should be tough to beat them in T20s?  I feel that
they will at least win against either South Africa or
Sri Lanka,” he added.

Mashrafe, the most successful captain in the
country’s history, hopes that the Tigers won’t taste
an upset against the associate teams like Nepal and
Netherlands.

“I have an experience that the people remain so
much concerned when we play against associate
nations. But if you fear about losing against them,
it’s not good totally. What I feel that we must beat
one of South Africa and Sri Lanka and then beat two
associate nations. If we want to move to the next
round, we have to materialize it.” (BSS)