Tigers want to `Banglawash` Afghans in Sylhet

Bangladesh lost the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan by 2-1. Captain Tamim Iqbal suddenly announced his retirement from international cricket during the series. Although later on the words of the Prime Minister broke the retirement but the party lost again in the second. Bangladesh-Afghanistan in T20 mission in Sylhet after the ODI series.

Shakib Al Hasan's team will take the field against Rashid Khan in the first T20 match of the series against Afghanistan tomorrow (Friday). A day before the start of the match, the team Tigers captain came to the press conference on Thursday (July 12).

Statistically, Afghanistan is far ahead of Bangladesh in this format. Where nine times, Afghans have won 6 times and Bangladesh has won 3 times. Afghanistan have won by 8 and 7 wickets respectively in the last two matches in this shortened version of cricket. But Bangladesh won two out of the last five matches.

But Shakib is not thinking about who is the favourite. Speaking in Sylhet, the Tiger captain said that the favorites are those who please, but we want to win both the matches. Shakib was saying, 'You can call whoever you want favourite, we want to win both matches.'

Shakib says that anything can happen in T20, 'Every series is a challenge. Especially in the T20 format, the challenge is more. Because all groups have equal opportunities. I don't think there is such thing as small team or big team in T20. Any team has the ability to beat any team. That challenge is what we enjoy. We beat England 3-0. But I lost one match against Ireland.

According to Shakib, the world's best all-rounder, the less we worry about the opposition, the better Bangladesh results, 'I think we play better as a team when we worry less about the other team.'

Rain is a big obstacle in T20 series in Sylhet. That's why Shakib waits until the toss to determine the eleven, 'I can decide the eleven by seeing how many overs are being played until the moment before the toss.'

The two teams will meet in the first match of the T20 series at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium next Friday (July 14). After that, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will play the second and last T20 on the same ground next Saturday (July 16).

Read More