Tigers' first ODI today
With a hope of capitalising on their chances if they come their way, Bangladesh open their one-day campaign against South Africa today. The first of the three-match series will take place at Potchefstroom's Senwes Park under light.
BTV will provide live coverage of the match from 6:15pm.
After the rain in Johannesburg, the weather is totally different in Potchefstroom, a one-and-half hours drive from Johannesburg, as it's too hot. The condition will also be tough for the spinners, who played pivotal roles in recent times, as the wicket is known as a batting paradise.
On the second trip Bangladesh skipper Mohammad Ashraful hoped for a much better show from the first tour in 2002 where under the leadership of Khaled Mashud the Tigers suffered humiliating defeats in both one-day and Test series.
It's however a totally new team as not a single player survived from that squad and the most encouraging factor for Ashraful's men was that they recently pushed big teams and achieved a win against New Zealand at home.
But batting is the real concern for the Tigers and the top four must do their job if they want to push home side, who have lost their dashing opener Herschelle Gibbs as the right-handed opener broke a team curfew before the Twenty20 match. There is one more bad news for the Proteas as their captain Graeme Smith will miss the game due to his elbow injury.
There was a good news for Ashraful as his deputy and leading pace bowler Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, who had back sore, bowled in the nets yesterday during practice at the ground and hopefully play the match if he passed the fitness test in the morning.
Bangladesh announced a 12-member team leaving out pacer Nazmul Hossain, Mahbubul Alam and left-handed batsman Mehrab Hossain. Bangladesh were still undecided whether they would go with three pacers.
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