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Ahead of his side's ICC Cricket World Cup match against Pakistan, Bangladesh captain Shakib al Hasan said though his side is out of contention for a semifinal spot, there is still a lot to play for as they want to qualify for ICC Champions Trophy in 2025.
Bangladesh will lock horns against Pakistan at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on Tuesday. With a win and five losses in six games, Bangladesh is all but out of the tournament and currently sits at the ninth spot. Pakistan, on the other hand, won two matches on the bounce but lost the next four. Aggregating just four points, they are currently at the sixth place on the points table. Shakib said in a pre-match press conference that the Champions Trophy serves as a motivation for his players after falling out of semifinal contention. "I think more than me, the whole team talked about what we need to do. There is a lot to play for. As you know, we have to win to be able to qualify for the Champions Trophy. That is an important target I think we can set at this moment and to do that we have to win. We have no other options and that's what we would look to do," Shakib said. According to ESPNCricinfo, ICC announced on Sunday that the top eight teams of the ICC Cricket World Cup, including hosts Pakistan, will qualify for the Champions Trophy 2025. Shakib said the team can change its situation with its actions. "We can change the situation of the team with our actions. So that is what we are trying to do," Shakib said. On playing a World Cup match in Kolkata, which shares the same language and culture as the people back home, the Bangladesh skipper said, "I mean, we are here to play the World Cup. Every match is as important as it gets. Tomorrow's match is no different to all other games that we have played or we will play in a few weeks' time. So, we will take one game at a time. We do not think about anything else other than to be able to perform to the best of our ability for tomorrow's game and we want to do better than Pakistan so that we can win the match." Bangladesh squad: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Litton Kumer Das, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto (vc), Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib. Sri Lanka Squad: Kusal Mendis (c), Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Kumara, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Angelo Mathews, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushan Hemantha, Chamika Karunaratne. (ANI)
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