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Download PDF Bangladesh will be trying to sign off from the Cricket World Cup on a high when they play wounded hosts West Indies in today’s Super Eights match in Barbados.
Bangladesh’s last match in the cricket’s showpiece event may only have academic interest but following Habibul Bashar’s men’s heartbreaking 74-run defeat to Ireland, it turns into a battle of two bruised sides.
The action starts at 7:30pm with state-run Bangladesh Television (BTV) and SET Max beaming live coverage of the game from Kensington Oval in Bridgetown.
While Brain Lara’s demoralised side hope to rescue their tarnished reputation in their penultimate encounter, the Tigers’ focus would be on proving their disappointing loss against ICC associate members Ireland as an ‘accident’ after two heroic triumphs against India and South Africa.
The Tigers have yet to conquer the West Indians in one-day internationals. They lost ten out of 12 encounters, with the remaining two including the 2003 World Cup match in South Africa being washed out.
They also have an agonising memory of a ten-wicket thrashing in their last meeting in the ICC Champions Trophy in India against the West Indies, winners of the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979.
But Dav Whatmore’s boys have already shown in the tournament that they can turn the table on any team and bounce back from disasters. One more sparkling show would help them avoid the last place in the Super Eights.
So, everybody is pinning hopes on another fightback by the Tigers who lost to England and Ireland in their last two encounters on the back of a splendid success against the Proteas that had silenced the critics who were calling Bangladesh’s win over India a ‘fluke’.
Consistency in batting would be the key to success not only in their match against the Caribbeans but also would boost their morale ahead of next month’s home series against India.
On the other hand, West Indies, winners of the ICC Champions Trophy in 2004 and runners-up in last year’s edition, won all three preliminary round matches to raise hopes of a successful campaign but have failed to win a single match in the second round. Having lost to Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and South Africa, the home side will look to save their blushes against Bangladesh and England in their last games.
April 20th, 2007 at 3:28 am
Never mind,World Cup is lost, but not the hope.There is always a better day ahead!
There is always a time, a time of happiness and sadness. A time to laugh ,a time to weep,
But we go on living for better days to come!
Thank you