Sports Reporter :
Bangladesh Cricket team will take on Afghanistan Cricket team in the first Twenty20 International (T20I) match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) in the city’s Mirpur today. The match starts at 3.00pm. Private satellite channel GTV and private satellite sports channel T Sports will telecast the match live from the venue.
Earlier, Bangladesh team won the ODI series against Afghanistan 2-1 at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram recently.
Before today’s match, Bangladesh faced Afghanistan in six T20I matches. Of them, Afghanistan registered four victories, while Bangladesh posted two wins.
According to the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) T20I ranking, Bangladesh have taken the ninth position, while Afghanistan have taken the eighth spot.
Members of Bangladesh Cricket team and the members of Afghanistan Cricket team took part in their respective full-fledged practice sessions at the BCB-NCA ground, which is adjacent to the SBNCS and at the SBNCS.
Captain of Bangladesh T20I team Mahmudullah Riyad said, ” I have no confusion about my position. I think that I’m in right track. I need some runs in the upcoming T20I matches. If I get runs in the next T20I, I shall regain my performance. My team have expectations from me. I could not perform well in the outgoing three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. There is an opportunity to score in the next T20I matches. I shall try to fulfill expectations for my team. I am not worried. I am trying to contribute for my team with my heart and it is very important.”
Riyad also said, I shall try to hit four and sixes from the very beginning of my innings if it is needed.”
Bangladesh squad : Mahmudullah Riyad (Captain), Liton Das, Munim Shahriar, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Yasir Ali Chowdhury, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed, Shohidul Islam and Mohammad Naim.
Afghanistan squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Hazrat Zazai, Usman Ghani, Darwish Rasooli, Mohammad Nabi (Captain), Najib Zadran, Afsar Zazai, Karim Janat, Azmat Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Qais Ahmad, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Nijat Masood and Farid Ahmad Mailk.
