POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Nov 6, 2022 : The grief of losing something precious is sometimes very useful. If you want an example, there is the current Bangladesh team. The disappointment of losing so close to winning against India is not chasing them, it is giving them courage instead of putting their hands on their backs. As if saying, ‘Go ahead….’
Shakib Al Hasan has a chance to advance to the semi-finals of this World Cup by opening the battle of all complex equations. But that possibility is so ‘if-but’ dependent that it’s hard to find the ground for forward thinking. Therefore, Sridharan Sriram, technical consultant of Bangladesh team, wanted to play today’s Pakistan match without any pressure, forgetting the number of the last four, ‘I definitely believe that we can beat Pakistan. But unfortunately the fact of being able to play in the semi-finals is not in our hands. ‘
Pakistan doesn’t have that either. Because of this, the position of the two teams is at the same point in the match that will start today at 10 am Bangladesh time (2:30 pm local time). Standing at the same level, Pakistan’s left-handed batsman Shan Masood also wants to complete the task at hand, ‘What we have in hand, we are fully focused on it. There are 2 points to win against Bangladesh. We will try to beat them and make it difficult for other teams. The group will hope to make it to the semi-finals until the last ball. ‘
Which two teams from Group Two will go to the semi-finals, there is no way to say anything for sure even on the last day of the Super Twelve phase. The fate of five teams is hanging on three matches each. India is at the top with 6 points in this group. South Africa with 5 points is also ahead of potential. However, there is no way to throw Bangladesh and Pakistan out of the calculation with equal 4 points. It is also possible for them to reach the last four by combining complex equations. Even fifth-placed Zimbabwe with 3 points has a chance. But that equation is more unequal than Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Before Shakib faces Babar Azam today, South Africa will play against the Netherlands. If the Proteas win that match, they will be the first team from this group to go to the last four. In that case, the fight to go to the semi-finals from this group will be in the last two matches. The farewell of the losing team in the Bangladesh-Pakistan match will be confirmed immediately. A win for Pakistan, who are well ahead in run rate, will not help if India defeats Zimbabwe in Melbourne. And if Bangladesh defeats Pakistan and the Proteas lose to the Dutch, Bangladesh will play the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup for the first time with 6 points. In that case, there is no need to look at the result of the India-Zimbabwe match.
But the possibility of matching these possibilities and reality is little. So much so that instead of thinking about them, Bangladesh wants to win the end. When Pakistan is ahead, then the match against partner India is also shadowed. Sriram was heard saying finding immense motivation from the win-lose match, ‘If someone had said before the game that we would lose to India by 5 runs, anyone would have taken it for granted. We took ourselves to a place where we could beat India. But in the end we couldn’t. ‘
There is regret for not being able to, there is also the frustration of missing out on opportunities. But before Pakistan came down to play the match, the belief of shaking India has spread within the team, Sriram said, ‘The boys have gained a lot of confidence by getting so close. At the end of the day, the loss was only 5 runs. Everyone in the dressing room must have been disappointed not to be able to finish well. They realized how many golden opportunities they missed. ‘
Sriram believes that the pain of losing this opportunity can be very beneficial for Bangladesh, ‘India match is a great learning experience for the team and it also gives the team a lot of confidence that if we can get this close by challenging a team like India, then we are not too far away. ‘ Not far from where Bangladesh want to see themselves as a T20 team.
Whether the dream of the last four comes true or not, India’s defeat of Pakistan today is something of a motivation for the match. The World Cup can only end with a win.
All the proof will be in the field game. Yet history repeats itself. The Bangladesh team beat Pakistan in the 1999 ODI World Cup and made the whole country happy. The reverse happened again in the last ODI World Cup, the cricket lovers of the country forgot the joy of victory of South Africa, West Indies in mourning the loss to Pakistan at Lord’s. Be it T20 but the World Cup. What will happen today — Northampton in ’99, or Lord’s in 2019?
