06/04/2015
Shakib Al Hasan believes Bangladesh's new found
confidence after the 2015 World Cup will make them
favourites for the home series against Pakistan later
this month.
Bangladesh won three matches, including a famous
triumph over England, to secure a berth in the
knockout stages of a World Cup for the first time.
Although they have beaten Pakistan just once - at the
1999 World Cup - in 32 meetings, Shakib believes the
team's self-belief coupled with the home advantage
factor will make it hard for a revamped Pakistan side.
"I think we should be starting as favourites to win the
ODI series against Pakistan," Shakib affirmed. "I think
this is our best chance to win against Pakistan.
Everyone in the team believes so too. We have proved
that we can beat any team at home. If we play our best
cricket, we can do well against any side. We beat New
Zealand seven times, and they are the World Cup
runners-up."
Shakib's confidence stems from Bangladesh's record at
home, at least as far as One-Day Internationals are
concerned. They beat Zimbabwe 5-0 at home in
December 2014, swept New Zealand 3-0 in late 2013,
and enjoyed victories over India and Sri Lanka on
their way to the final of the at the Asia Cup at home in
2012.
However, Bangladesh had a poor run at home in
2014-15, when they lost 12 of 18 ODIs. They were
beaten 3-0 by Sri Lanka in February, while India got
the better of them by 2-0 margin in June. Although
they somewhat redeemed themselves with the win
over Zimbabwe in December, Bangladesh couldn't
improve on their No. 9 ranking in the ICC ODI charts.
Shakib insisted that while the World Cup showing was
a step in the right direction, it was equally important
for Bangladesh to move up in the ICC rankings. "It is a
very important year for us since it will be a 10-team
World Cup next time," said Shakib, who is currently in
India to play for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.
Bangladeshi's new find Sakib Al Hasan.