In the upcoming Champions Trophy, Bangladesh will face India, Pakistan, and New Zealand as their group-stage opponents. However, in recent times, the Bangladeshi Tigers haven't been playing too well in the Odi format. The past year has been filled with disappointments. Hence, former Australian captain Ricky Ponting does not see much potential for Bangladesh in this tournament. Now, former South African cricketer AB de Villiers has echoed the same sentiment.
Speaking plainly, de Villiers has said that he does not see Bangladesh reaching the semifinals of the Champions Trophy. However, he believes Bangladesh has the ability to cause an upset in the tournament. According to de Villiers, Bangladesh is capable of defeating any of the big teams like India, Pakistan, or New Zealand.
In a video on his YouTube channel, while discussing Bangladesh’s squad, de Villiers said, "Najmul Hossain Shanto is leading Bangladesh. He is very consistent, and that's why Bangladeshis will be happy to have him as their captain. He can lead from the front. Mushfiqur Rahim is a great, experienced cricketer. It’s quite a balanced team, a great team. However, I don’t think this is a squad capable of winning the tournament. Though my words might sound a bit harsh."
However, AB does believe that Bangladesh has the capability to cause an upset.
"They have the ability to cause upsets. Taskin Ahmed is a fantastic right-arm pacer. Mehidy Hasan Miraz is also a brilliant all-rounder. Mahmudullah is a great cricketer; I really enjoy watching him play. I don’t think they will make it to the knockouts. Bangladeshi fans may hate me for saying this, and I’m sorry. But I don’t think they will qualify for the knockouts. However, they have the potential to defeat a big team, and that’s the truth. They are a good team, but in my opinion, not one that can win the Champions Trophy. Best wishes to Bangladesh for this tournament.” said AB.
Alongside Bangladesh, de Villiers also placed Afghanistan in the category of potential giant killers. However, he mentioned that if either of these two teams(Bangladesh and Afghanistan) makes it to the semifinals, it would be great for the game of cricket.
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