India and Pakistan do not deserve Super 8 berth: Bashar

After pulling off two upsets in the World Cup, Bangladesh skipper Habibul Bashar is now in a mood to hit out hard at the killjoys of the mega event who regret the absence of India and Pakistan, saying the sub-continental giants do not deserve a place in the Super Eights.

In his column in 'Prothom Alo' newspaper, Bashar wrote, ''Someone asked me whether the World Cup has become stale after the exit of India and Pakistan. But, I think they don't have the right to play in the Super Eights after losing two out of their three first round matches.'' ''If this attitude persists, one should organise 'Top Ranking Cup' instead of the World Cup, where the teams will play according to their rankings. The cup is not a property of one or two teams. It belongs to every one and the best team will win the Cup,'' he added.

The 34-year-old Bangladesh skipper also lambasted the critics who earlier questioned his side's potential after their two huge defeats at the hands of Australia and New Zealand in the initial stages of the Super Eights.

''I think our win against South Africa would silence some of the 'noises' heard after we lost the first two matches of the Super Eights,'' an irked Bashar said.

Following their victory against India in the preliminary stages which showed the former champions the exit door, Bashar's men pulled off yet another big upset of the tournament when they defeated the world number one team South Africa by 67 runs in their Super Eight match on Sunday.

''Instead of spoiling the show, Bangladesh has made the World Cup more interesting. There are plenty of teams now fighting for the semifinals,'' he explained.

Commenting on his side's dream run at the Caribbean which might see them rewrite the tournament's history, the Bangladesh captain said, '' We now have a bright chance to play the semi-final if we can beat England. The English team has some good players but they are not playing well. So it will not be impossible to beat them.'' UNI XC SSC SB RN1035

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