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DHAKA, May 20, 2024 (BSS) -Former Bangladesh 
captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza believes that the 
national cricket team has the ability to beat at least 
one of the two big teams—South Africa and Sri 
Lanka—in their Group D fixture to move to the next 
round.

Apart from South Africa and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh 
will get Nepal and Netherlands in their group. Since 
two teams will move to the Super 8, Bangladesh 
need three wins to be at safe position. 

"We have the ability to beat South Africa and Sri 
Lanka and we did in the past. So, I think we should 
win against South Africa and Sri Lanka. At least we 
should beat one of them,” Mashrafe said during after 
a press conference on the Bangabandhu Gold Cup 
International Kabaddi tournament at the 
Bangladesh Olympic Association auditorium today.

While Bangladesh won five out 16 T20 
Internationals against Sri Lanka, they have never 
beaten South Africa in this format despite playing 
eight matches against them.

"But we had won an away series against South 
Africa, even though that was an ODI series. So when 
we did it in ODI, that too on their own soil, why it 
should be tough to beat them in T20s?  I feel that 
they will at least win against either South Africa or 
Sri Lanka,” he added. 

Mashrafe, the most successful captain in the 
country’s history, hopes that the Tigers won’t taste 
an upset against the associate teams like Nepal and 
Netherlands. 

“I have an experience that the people remain so 
much concerned when we play against associate 
nations. But if you fear about losing against them, 
it’s not good totally. What I feel that we must beat 
one of South Africa and Sri Lanka and then beat two 
associate nations. If we want to move to the next 
round, we have to materialize it.”