South Africa’s former legendary batter AB de Villiers reckons Bangladesh have it in them to beat the more established sides on their day but qualifying for the Champions Trophy semi-finals might be a step too far.
A few days ago, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting also played down the Tigers’ chances in the upcoming tournament in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
“I honestly don't think Bangladesh (are) going to make the knockouts. Bangladeshi fans might not like me saying this, but I have to be honest. They certainly have the ability to surprise a few teams, maybe even one of the bigger sides. But making it to the semi-finals will be a huge challenge,” said De Villiers on his YouTube channel.
Nazmul Hossain Shanto’s men will get the great opportunity to provide the perfect riposte to the likes of Ponting and De Villiers when they face neighbors India in an exciting clash this Thursday in Dubai.
Bangladesh, aiming to repeat their semi-final run in the last edition of the tournament in 2017, will then face New Zealand and hosts Pakistan in Rawalpindi on February 24 and 27 respectively.
