Rhodes sees ‘great chance’ for underdogs Bangladesh

DUBAI: Following back-to-back defeats against old rivals India, Pakistan are really short on confidence. Steve Rhodes, Bangladesh’s coach believes, that is one weakness that gives his team a big chance to tame the Pakistanis and set up a date with India in Friday’s final of the Asia Cup in Dubai.

“I think we have got a great chance,” said Rhodes when asked about his team’s chances in their must-win Super Fours clash against Pakistan at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday (today).

“We respect Pakistan as a team as they played really well to win the Champions Trophy not too long ago. They’re possibly playing with lack of little bit of confidence and not quite the same confidence as they were in the Champions Trophy. They are still a very dangerous team on their day they can really put things together and play some good cricket. We are respectful to them as a team but we are also looking forward to the challenge. It’ll be a great contest,” commented Rhodes, the former England cricketer who took over as Bangladesh’s coach in June this year.

Rhodes rates Pakistan as the favourites to win the virtual semifinal but believes that the underdogs tag suits his team just fine.

“Pakistan is the favourite for this game but that puts us in a nice position because they know we are a dangerous side. To go into that game as an underdog might work in our favour because we can really make that work.”

Rhodes is of the view Abu Dhabi’s slow track should help Bangladesh against a pace-heavy Pakistan attack.

“(Pakistan’s fast bowlers) come with some challenges. They have a little more pace but the wicket at Abu Dhabi has tended to be on the slower side so hasn’t necessarily been in favour of fast bowlers, so that can be a good thing, the ball can come on to the ball well. Sometimes when the wicket is slow, facing medium-pacers might become a little more difficult. So because of the slowness of the wicket the ball will come nicely on the bat with their pace,” he said.