South Africa will look to fine-tune their preparations for the knock-out rounds when they take on Bangladesh in their last World Cup group match on Saturday.
The Proteas are the only team in group B to have qualified for the quarterfinals, with four others — India, West Indies, Bangladesh and England — vying for the remaining three berths.
Skipper Graeme Smith plans to use the day game at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium to get his side ready for the business end of the tournament, even as Bangladesh seek a shock win.
“It’s fantastic to have qualified already,” Smith said. “Our group [Group B] is pretty tense this week and it’s nice that we don’t have to deal with that tension for a change.”
Smith wants his team to produce an all-round show in which the batting, bowling and fielding all clicks, which he feels the side has not managed in previous matches.
“In every game there’s probably something you can say we have not done well,” said Smith, who is himself short of runs, with 45 in the first match against the West Indies his best in the tournament.
Niggling injuries
South Africa may juggle their playing XI against Bangladesh to rest niggling injuries and give the reserves a chance to flex their muscles.
Pace spearhead Dale Steyn, who developed a minor side strain in Tuesday’s match against Ireland in Kolkata, may be rested with left-arm seamers Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Wayne Parnell waiting in the wings.
Leg-spinner Imran Tahir has completed a 10-day rest period for a fractured thumb and AB de Villiers should also be available after missing the Irish game with a thigh-muscle strain.
A win over Bangladesh could help South Africa finish at the top of their group with 10 points, depending on how the West Indies — with six points — fare against England and India.
Bangladesh start their last match buoyed by successive wins over England and The Netherlands in Chittagong.
The Tigers could find themselves as relaxed as South Africa if the West Indies defeat England in Chennai later on Thursday, a result that would lift Bangladesh into the quarterfinals.
But if England win, Bangladesh will have to beat South Africa to qualify.
Tigers coach Jamie Siddons preferred to focus on South Africa even as the entire nation prayed for a West Indies success.
“We have to beat South Africa to guarantee a quarterfinal and we need to focus on that,” Siddons said. “Other games don’t really matter. If the West Indies win that will be great, but we are not going to put our hopes on that.”
South Africa have won 12 of their 13 one-dayers against Bangladesh, five of them on the Tigers’ home soil, including a 3-0 sweep in 2008.
Lone win
Bangladesh’s lone win came during the Super Eights round of the previous World Cup in the Caribbean, when they clinched a 67-run victory on a turning track in Providence.
After Mohammad Ashraful scored 87 to lift Bangladesh to 251-8, South Africa were shot out for 184 with left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak claiming 3-25.
The Proteas can expect a similar slow wicket in Dhaka, encouraging Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan to eye an upset win.
“Our future should remain in our hands,” he said. “The bottom line is that we have to beat South Africa. It is not impossible.” — AFP
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