Tigers’ do-or-die ODI against Kiwis today
Bangladesh Cricket team will face off New Zealand Cricket team in their do-or-die second One Day International (ODI) match today at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) in the capital’s Mirpur. The important match will start at 11:00am (Bangladesh Standard Time).
Private satellite sports channel T Sports will telecast the match live from ‘Home of Cricket’. Captain of Bangladesh Cricket team Mehidy Hasan Miraz will lead his side, while Captain of New Zealand Cricket team Tom Latham will lead his team.
The Tigers made a sorrow start as they lost to the Kiwis by 26 runs in their first ODI match at the same venue on April 18. If Bangladesh lose to New Zealand in the second ODI, Bangladesh will taste defeat in the three-match ODI series.
On the other hand, if Bangladesh win over the Black Caps in today’s match, the hosts will keep their hope alive to save them from series defeat.
If the game will wash out by rain, the result of the match will be decided in the third ODI, which is scheduled to be held on April 23 and the series will come to an end as 1-1.
Before today’s game, the Tigers and the Kiwis faced each other in 47 ODI matches. Of them, Bangladesh post 11 victories, while New Zealand won 35 matches and one clash ended without any result.
Left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam spoke at a press conference at the SBNCS on Sunday. Although the visiting New Zealand team does not have several regular cricketers, he is reluctant to accept their second-tier team.
Shoriful Islam said, “There is no such thing as a second or third team in international cricket.
Those who are playing have come here well in domestic cricket. We still have two matches in our hands. We have that ability – Insha Allah, we will be able to turn around.”
The left-arm pacer also admitted to the mistake in the first match, “We may have made some mistakes in the first match. They are good team, we are also good team. I hope we will overcome.”
He also said that work is being done on the batting contribution in the lower order. He said, “We feel the issue and are working on it. I will try to contribute in batting in the next match.”
Shoriful Islam is also confident about the remaining matches of the series, “We believe we can make a comeback. If we can play our best cricket, we can definitely bring results.”
Squads: Bangladesh ODI squad: Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Captain), Soumya Sarkar, Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Litton Das, Afif Hossain, Mahidul Islam, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam and Nahid Rana.
New Zealand ODI squad: Tom Latham (Captain), Muhammad Abbas, Aditya Ashok, Josh Clarkson, Dane Cleaver, Dean Foxcroft, Nick Kelly, Jaiden Lennox, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Ben Lister and Will Young.
