DHAKA: Bangladesh have the opportunity to record a limited-overs clean sweep over Pakistan and inflict more misery on the beleaguered visitors in the one-off Twenty20 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium here on Friday.

Mashrafe Mortaza’s team are on a high after wrapping up a 3-0 One-day International series victory at the same venue on Wednesday.

The opposite is true of their opponents — who can only hope a switch in formats, and some personnel with Shahid Afridi back as their 20-over leader, somehow does the trick on Friday.

“Bangladesh are playing very well at the moment,” Afridi told reporters at a news conference on Thursday. “They are playing as a team. They did well in the World Cup and have good momentum.”

Afridi added that Bangladesh were playing as one unit for a long time which results in stability.

Mashrafe, Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Musfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah have been playing together for the last eight years while Rubel Hossain joined them six years ago.

“Bangladesh have been using the same unit for a long time. They are playing well in the current combination. We have to turn it around decisively to beat them.”

He added that Pakistan’s T20 squad was in better shape than the ODI squad which seems to have lost its balance after he and long-serving captain Misbah-ul-Haq retired from ODI cricket after the World Cup.

“There will be a difference in the team if three to four senior players are not in the side,” he said. “But in the next few months this side will become a unit and start winning.”

Mashrafe, in contrast, is delighted at Bangladesh’s revival but said that his side need to play more in the shorter format of the game. Bangladesh played their last T20 more than a year back in the World T20 at home.

“We need more practice in this format,” he said on Thursday. “We have always focussed more on ODIs and Tests even at domestic levels, and I think since we are doing really well in the ODI format.

“We should start focusing seriously on how to improve in the T20 format as well, since the next World T20 comes in a year’s time. We have a very good side, the boys are really confident. But in a few aspects we lack the depth in what is required for this format.”

Bangladesh have decided to rest strike bowler Rubel before the forthcoming Test series, bringing uncapped pair Mustafizur Rahman and Litton Das into a 14-man squad.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2015

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