Bangladesh look confident as they start T20 WC campaign against Scotland

Bangladesh and Scotland kickstart their ICC Men's T20 World Cup sojourn as the two teams lock horns in match 2 of Round 1 at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman.

Bangladesh are ranked sixth in the ICC T20I rankings. Bangladesh’s European rivals are ranked 14th.

Bangladesh enter the T20 World Cup on the back of the terrific form. They have recorded three series wins on the bounce against Zimbabwe, Australia and New Zealand. Despite the good form, there are a few areas of concern for the team. The team lacks power hitters who can score quickly to counterattack. The team also relies heavily on star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan to deliver goods for the team. Considering Bangladesh’s status in Asian Cricket and their T20I ranking, skipper Mahmudullah knows that failure to qualify for the next stage of the World Cup would be a big setback for the team.

Scotland have no pressure to perform in the tournament. The Scots would act as party spoilers of Group B in this round. Any win in the tournament would be a bonus for the Kyle Coetzer-led side. The team is low on match practice as they have played just one T20I series this year. It was a three-match series against Zimbabwe in which the Scots beat the African side 2-1. Ahead of their tournament opener, Scotland beat Papua New Guinea and Namibia in the warm up games. If the current form is taken into account, Scotland will prove a gritty opponent to beat.

Head-to-head

Matches played: 1

Scotland win: 1

Bangladesh win: 0

Form Guide:

Bangladesh: L-W-L-W-W

Scotland: L-W-L-L-W

Pitch and conditions

The average first innings total at Al Amerat Cricket Ground is 151. Twenty-four games have been played on this ground. Fourteen of those games have been won by the team batting second. The last T20 game played at this venue was between the UAE and Kuwait on February 27 2020. In that match, the UAE batted first and scored a mammoth 199/5. Kuwait could only manage 97/7 in 20 overs. If that match is considered as the template, to predict what the pitch could be like, then it could be a fairly balanced pitch with something for the batters and the bowlers.

A clear evening is expected for the match. The temperature would be around 28° C with a humidity level of around 52%.

Deccan Herald’s Dream XI:

George Munsey, Mohammad Naim, Kyle Coetzer, Richie Berrington, Mushfiqur Rahman (wk), Mahmudullah (c), Shakib Al Hasan, Safyaan Sharif, Mustafizur Rahman, Mark Watt, Nasum Ahmed,

Impact player for Bangladesh

Mustafizur Rahman: The left-handed pacer enjoyed a good IPL season with Rajasthan Royals in which he picked 14 wickets from 14 innings. This season in international T20s, the pacer has picked 18 wickets from 10 games at an average of just 9.94. The left-arm pacer also holds the record for the best bowling figures for Bangladesh bowling in an ICCT20 World Cup game. Mustafizur is known for his pinpoint yorkers and variations in slower deliveries. Bangladesh’s success depends on his form with the ball.

Impact player for Scotland

Geroge Munsey: Scotland’s opening batter is known for his big hits. In 2019, in a match between Scotland and the Netherlands, Munsey ripped apart Netherland’s bowling attack smashing 14 sixes and five fours enroute to an unbeaten 127 from 56 deliveries. The fourteen maximums that Munsey hit, levelled him with Australian skipper Aaron Finch for the second-most sixes hit by a batter in a T20I inning. Munsey has 1383 T20 runs which he has scored at an average of 27.11 and a strike rate of 153.66.