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Former cricketers and experts are not weighing Bangladesh as the clear favourites in their five-match twenty20 international series against Australia, scheduled to begin from August 3 but opined that this is the best chance for the Tigers to beat the Aussies.
Despite Bangladesh never beating Australia in the four T20Is they played, the Tigers are hopeful about winning the series due to their recent form and the absence of some key players in the Australian side that cost them the series against West Indies.
Former cricket coach and now the cricket advisor at the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan, Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, believes that the Tigers hold the best chance to win the series against Australia due to the present predicaments.
“If it was some other time, I might say Bangladesh does not hold any chance, but with present predicaments, I must say this is our best chance to defeat Australia,” Fahim told The Business Post.
“Due to the Covid-19 situation, a bunch of their key players are not coming. Those who have replaced them are also good, but maybe they will be lacking the experience of playing in the sub-continent. We are also missing out on some key players and have to rely on some youngsters. But yet we are playing at home, and the confidence from winning against Zimbabwe will be on our side. I will not be surprised if Bangladesh win the series,” the mentor of many national team cricketers told TBP.
Former cricketer Aftab Ahmed, who played a crucial knock during the Tigers’ famous win against Australia in Cardiff in 2005, their only win against the Aussies in limited-overs cricket till date, told TBP that he thinks Bangladesh are the favourites.
“Their main team is not coming. Aaron Finch, Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell; are the players who mostly get busy in the IPL. They have a lot of experience of playing in the sub-continent that will be missing in this team. So those who are replacing them will not be able to fill in their shoes,” Aftab told TBP.
Aftab believes that with players like Shakib Al Hasan on song and Mahmudullah at the helm, the Tigers can outsmart the visitors.
“Our boys have returned from Zimbabwe with wins in all formats, with a boost in their confidence. On the other hand, Australia are not very used to our conditions. Their batsmen will need time to adjust to the tracks here. The series will take place in a short time, so I think that gives us an edge. If we can secure some early wins, we can have a fair chance to win the series,” he said.
Mohammad Ashraful, who got his maiden hundred in ODI in that match against Australia, does not think that Bangladesh will win the series though the competition will be neck to neck.
Ashraful observed the Tigers closely during the Zimbabwe series, and he feels that Australia’s bowling will cause Bangladesh trouble.
“Though their leading batsmen are not coming, their bowling is pretty good. Mitchell Starc is there, Adam Zampa is a great leg spinner, and that is our weakness. I think Australia will win the series 3-2,” Ashraful told TBP.
