Who: Bangladesh v Netherlands
what: ICC T20 World Cup Group D
when: Thursday 13th June, 10:30am local time (14:30pm GMT)
where: Arnos Vale Stadium, Kingstown, St. Vincent
How to follow: Al Jazeera will broadcast live from 11:30am GMT.
Bangladesh and the Netherlands face off in their third group match of the T20 World Cup, with the winner likely to qualify for the Super Eight stage of the tournament.
Group D action will now shift to the Caribbean, with Thursday’s match taking place at Arnos Vale Stadium in Kingstown, St. Vincent.
Both teams have two points each from two matches, sandwiched between leaders South Africa, who have already qualified for the Super Eight, and the bottom two teams, Nepal and Sri Lanka, who are unlikely to reach the knockout stages.
Just two teams remain to battle it out for the second spot in the qualifiers, but Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto believes the team that adapts best to the conditions will emerge victorious.
“It is very difficult to predict how many runs will be scored on this wicket so it is very important to read the wicket quickly,” Shanto told reporters on Wednesday.
He hopes that Bangladesh fans will continue to support them in the West Indies as they do in the US matches.
“No matter where you play, [our] The supporters will be there, especially in the West Indies. It’s a good feeling.”
Bangladesh fans will hope that their team’s appearance in the Super Eights does not depend on prayer. One fan held up a sign during the match against South Africa that read, “If you play, we pray,” urging the players in green to do their part just as the fans are doing theirs.
“We’re in a life-or-death game all year long.”
The Netherlands are also aware of the importance of the encounter, with bowler Logan van Beek saying his team has prepared “very well” for the match.
“This is probably the biggest game we’re going to play in the tournament,” van Beek said.
He expects the wicket to be flat and undented but said there were still many “unknowns” about the ground for both teams.
The players in the orange jersey are confident of securing an important win against their group rivals.
“The confidence we’ve gained over the last few years from beating strong teams in big tournaments and win-or-lose matches is all about stepping up at the right time and that’s the Dutch style of play. We’ve been in win-or-lose matches all year so we’re used to the pressure and we’re excited to do it again.”
Pitch and weather conditions
Arnos Vale Stadium has not hosted an international cricket match for 10 years so there are many unknowns. In the past, the pitch has balanced the battle between bat and ball and seen spinners have great success.
No rain is forecast, but the weather will generally be hot and humid.
Face to face
The two teams have met four times in the T20 format, with Bangladesh winning three of them, including the most recent match at the T20 World Cup 2022.
The Netherlands’ only win against Bangladesh was in a T20 match in 2012.
Form Guide
Both teams have one win and one loss each (vs. South Africa) in the tournament so far.
Bangladesh have relied on Mahmudullah, a powerful hitter and a composed veteran in the lower order, while Rishad Hossain has also played a valuable role as a bowler.
Holland are good with the ball and are impressive on the field, all they need to do is step up their batting.
Bangladesh: low
Netherlands: Wow
Bangladesh team news
Shaq Mahedi Hasan is likely to feature in the first T20 World Cup match as his methodical bowling and batting ability on the off-breaks could come in handy in the Caribbean.
team: Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Taskin Ahmed, Litton Das, Sowmiya Sarkar, Tanjid Hasan Tamim, Shakib Al Hasan, Tauhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Jakhar Ali Anik, Tanveer Islam, Shakh Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam and Tanjim Hasan Saqib.
Dutch team news
It is unlikely that they will change their lineup.
team: Scott Edwards (captain), Aryan Dutt, Bas de Ried, Daniel Drumm, Fred Klassen, Logan van Beek, Max O’Dowd, Michael Levitt, Paul van Meekeren, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Teja Niddamanul, Tim Pringle, Vikram Singh, Viv Kingma, Wesley Barresi.