It was not long ago that for Afghanistan playing in an international event was just an achievement, but their recent performance certainly takes them a force to recognise. The associate member is all set to upset the home side as skipper Mohammad Nabi informed that they are a better Twenty20 unit.
Though Afghanistan carry the edge over Bangladesh in their Asia Cup win, the 29-year-old skipper added that it’s a different format of the game, “Asia Cup is totally a different game - 50 overs game - this is Twenty20 game. Both are different format game. Afghanistan, you know, is better in Twenty20. We’ll try our best to perform very well and fight for the next round,” said Nabi at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday.
The Afghan captain added that they will be more relaxed as the pressure will be on the home side for their supporters’ expectation, “We will play a relax game here, but I don't know how it will advance. But pressure will totally be on Bangladesh at their home ground from supporters. They have already lost to Afghanistan, so totally pressure on Bangladesh."
The home side is bolstered by the return of Tamim Iqbal, Shakib al Hasan and Mashrafe bin Mortaza, but Nabi said, “We are not playing the names. We’re playing the game. That’s why, we just play the game. We don’t know who is in the other side Shakib (Al Hasan), Tamim (Iqbal) and Mortaza. We just play the game out of inspiration.”
Nabi added that, “We have four-five-six all-rounder in the team. That’s why we are good side in T20. Also plus point is fielding. We’ve good fielders.”
The Afghans lost their last warm-up game against Zimbabwe and despite the defeat Nabi thought they played well. “Last game we played really well. Not a bad game. But (Hamilton) Masakadza played very well for the side. We lost the game. We pushed the game in the last over. That’s Good fight against Zimbabwe,” he said.
Bangladesh faced Afghanistan in this format only twice – once in Trinidad and Tobago and the other time in the Asian Games T20, which was played by a second string Bangladesh side. However, Nabi expressed, “They beat us one time in T20 in Asian Games. Both of them were a close game. That was not won easily. This time it will be tougher (for winning).”
