ICC World Cup 2011 fixture: Bangladesh want to imitate Ireland in match with England
ICC World Cup 2011 co-hosts Bangladesh will go head to head against England on Friday, 11th March at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong.
The Bengal tigers will be determined to perform well after their defeat to West Indies. They were blown away by two time champions on Friday, March 4. The Caribbean cricket team dismissed Bengal Tigers for one the lowest totals of World Cup history.
However, the Bangladeshi team will not loose heart and will look to bounce back they'll try to imitate Ireland’s performance against the Poms. Ireland defeated England on Wednesday, 2nd March by three wickets.
Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan believes his team is fully capable of defeating any side given they play their best cricket. Hasan said, “The boys will be a bit tense, but we know if we play our best cricket, we can beat any side. They are confident enough
to do the right things.”
The English side, on the other hand, is slowly gaining momentum after losing a series in Australia. Captain Andrew Strauss wants to win games easily he said, “It's been great to be involved in some thrilling games. Personally, I would have liked them to
be a bit easier. But we have shown a lot of character in a couple of those games certainly, and we want these last two games to be less close, to be honest.”
The pitch at Chittagong is flat and dry so a lot of runs are expected in this match. Spinners will play a major role in this game.
Team form
The Bangladeshi cricket team was in form before the start of World Cup. They white washed New Zealand in home. However, they have lost two matches in last five matches and that against co-hosts India and West Indies.
The English team was in great form but a 6-1 loss to Australia before the start of World Cup has affected their morale. However, they’ll be looking for a win to ensure a spot in the knock-out round.
Key Players
Tamim Iqbal is the mainstay in the Bangladeshi batting line-up. He enjoys playing against the Poms. His average in 11 matches against them is 48.66. Imrul Kayes also holds the key for the Bengal Tigers. Abdur Razzak and Shakib Al Hasan are two very good
slow left-arm bowlers and they’ll be looking to inspire their team once again.
The English team lost two key players – Kevin Pietersen and Stuart Broad – recently. But, luckily for them, left-hand middle-order batsman Eoin Morgan is fit and will replace Pietersen while Broad will be replaced by Chris Tremlett. These two players coming
in have played well recently for England and will be hoping to continue the good performance.
England (probable XI)
Andrew Strauss (captain), Ian Bell, Jonathan Trott, Ravi Bopara, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior (wicket-keeper), Tim Bresnan, Michael Yardy, Graeme Swann, Ajmal Shahzad, James Anderson
Bangladesh (possible XI)
Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Raqibul Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wicket-keeper), Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Mahmudullah, Naeem Islam, Abdur Razzak, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam