Bangladesh Cricket Team
Bangladesh is expected to secure their second victory in the ICC Cricket World Cup when they face the Netherlands in their sixth match of the showcase event at Eden Gardens in Kolkata tomorrow (Saturday). The match is scheduled to start at 2:30 PM (Bangladesh Time).
Bangladesh began the World Cup with a six-wicket win over Afghanistan but then lost four consecutive matches, putting them on the receiving end. Nonetheless, a victory against the Netherlands is highly anticipated due to the significant difference in experience and strength between the two teams.
Both the Netherlands and Bangladesh have won one match each, with the former's 35-run victory against South Africa being considered one of the biggest upsets in cricket's history. Currently, the Netherlands is at the bottom of the table in net run rate, and Bangladesh is one place above them in the 10-team tournament.
Both teams head into this match after suffering crushing defeats against different opponents. The Netherlands experienced the second-largest defeat in ODI history when Australia defeated them by 309 runs after posting a total of 399-8. Bangladesh conceded 382-5 against South Africa before losing the match by 149 runs.
Bangladesh entered this World Cup with the hope of reaching the semifinals, but those hopes have been dashed following four straight defeats. However, on paper, they are clear favorites to win two matches, having already beaten Afghanistan, and now the Netherlands is in their way.
The two teams met only once in cricket's biggest extravaganza in 2011 when Bangladesh co-hosted the tournament alongside India and Sri Lanka. In that edition, Bangladesh defeated the Dutch by six wickets after dismissing them for just 160 in 46.2 overs. Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Mahmudullah Riyad are the only three survivors from that game.
However, in their first-ever meeting in 2010, the Netherlands beat Bangladesh by six wickets. Therefore, tomorrow's match will be only their third meeting in this format.
The Netherlands will undoubtedly draw inspiration from their victory against South Africa as they aim to upset another applecart.
With honor at stake, Bangladesh will be desperate to end their losing streak in the World Cup to give their fans some relief.
Before the match, Bangladesh Captain Shakib Al Hasan, who has been in a serious bad patch, returned to Dhaka to work on the technical aspects of his batting with his childhood mentor, Najmul Abedin Fahim. He rejoined the team in Kolkata just ahead of the match.
It remains to be seen if he can regain his form after extensive work with his mentor. Shakib was booed by the fans at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium as he left the ground after his practice session, which is a testament to how disappointed the fans were following Bangladesh's dismal performance.
Any result other than a victory against the Netherlands is likely to leave the country's cricket in dire straits.
Squad:
Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Liton Das, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto (vc), Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib.
Netherlands: Scott Edwards (c), Max O'Dowd, Bas de Leede, Vikram Singh, Teja Nidamanuru, Paul van Meekeren, Colin Ackermann, Roelof van der Merwe, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Ryan Klein, Wesley Barresi, Saqib Zulfiqar, Shariz Ahmad, and Sybrand Engelbrecht.
