Filed under: Cricket, England Cricket, World Cup, ODIs, Bangladesh Cricket
WORLD CUP: GROUP B, ZAHUR AHMED CHOWDURY STADIUM, CHITTAGONG, MARCH 11, 2011Andy Flower's side may be able to lay claim to being the most exiting to watch so far in the tournament but the England team director would love a routine success to claim a place in the quarter-finals.
Flower has been put through the wringer in his team's previous three games, tying with India, losing from a position of such strength against Ireland and the six-run victory over South Africa, when his side looked down and out.
Rebounding against Graeme Smith's side to win when the batsmen let the side down for the first time in the competition was a statement of the character within the England dressing room.
It has eased the pressure on qualification with two games remaining, but England would love a straightforward success, to avoid having to go into the final game with the West Indies needing victory to assure progress.
Flower has taken some of the blame for the hit-and-miss nature of England's performances so far, admitting that he eased off too much in the early stages, to help his jaded squad recover from the demands of the Ashes tour.
He also raised question marks about the mental strength of his own players and their ability to act under intense pressure, although the answers he received in Chennai will have been encouraging.
Taking one step forward and two steps back has been the story of England's campaign and just when the signs of progress looked promising, England have lost Kevin Pietersen and Stuart Broad to injury.
The call-up of Eoin Morgan in place of Pietersen and the decision to replace Broad with Chris Tremlett will not weaken England's line-up for a game the co-hosts must win if they want to make the last eight.
But what Flower will know is that England cannot hope to win the World Cup for the first time if they continue to fail to put all elements of their game together for 100 overs of cricket.
How they handle the pressure in Chittagong against the co-hosts will also be important, but that also applies to Jamie Siddon's side after their capitulation against the West Indies in their previous game.
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There is no margin for error in front of their own supporters - who reacted to being bowled out for 58 by the West Indies, by stoning the buses of both teams and there were suggestions Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan's house was also pelted with bricks.
Bangladesh know that defeat would leave them needing to win their final two games against the Netherlands and South Africa and even that may not be enough to earn a quarter-final place.
TWO TO WATCH:
Eoin Morgan (England): Morgan was considered a huge loss to England's chances when he was ruled out of the original squad with a fractured finger. He has recovered well and although he admits his batting practice has been limited, his unorthodox methods find angles on the field that few others know exist. England will need his energy and inventive shot-making at number five and Morgan is eager to make up for lost time in the tournament.
Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh): He may only be 21, but he can light the blue touchpaper at the top of the order and he loves English bowlers having scored two centuries against them in 2010, with his 103 at Lord's in a Test match the highlight. He has made starts in two of his three innings so far, without really hitting top form, but on his day, can be brutal against any attack.
FORM GUIDE:
England WLTWL
Bangladesh LWLWW
Flower has to make a decision on who will open the batting with captain Andrew Strauss, but prefers to remain flexible over the post.
There are three in contention to replace Pietersen, with Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara and Matt Prior all under consideration in Chittagong.
Bell would make the most obvious choice and his impeccable technique would be the ideal foil for Strauss' more flamboyant and aggressive style, but Flower may prefer to keep him back for a more dangerous attack later in the tournament.
The experiment with Prior in Australia yielded poor results and he was swiftly dropped down the order, but on sub-continent pitches he may be worth another go and he has the capability to give the innings real impetus from the first ball.
Bopara also has claims and his excellent innings in the low-scoring game against South Africa showed the maturity and ability to stay focused under pressure which England have been waiting for him to demonstrate for some time.
With Morgan set to bolster the middle order coming in at five, that makes Bopara a more attractive floater, able to move up and down the batting card and he will be full of confidence after his man-of-the-match performance against South Africa.
Broad's injury, so soon after his 4-15 against South Africa, has also opened up a bowling spot, but the indications are that Tremlett will have to continue his wait for an opportunity, with Ajmal Shahzad the favourite to step into the side.
Siddons admitted that his side were "embarrassed and shell-shocked" after the fiasco against the West Indies and feels his batsman's cavalier approach has been the problem for the entire tournament so far.
Confidence has been badly affected by the pressure of appearing in front of their own passionate fans and they have been working over-time to try to correct the errors Siddons sees "in the nets every day."
Despite the angry reaction to the West Indies defeat, Siddons believes the nation is still behind his team, but he knows they have to earn their backing with far more application in the batting department.
Bangladesh's strong suit is their batting and they will have to be at their best to protect a bowling attack which lacks the penetration and venom to trouble England.
KEY STAT: England have faced Bangladesh in 14 ODIs and won 13. Their only defeat was by five runs in Bristol in July 2010.
KEY QUOTE: "We played some soccer and a few things. The team is feeling better and the players are mentally fine now. We are looking forward to doing something special in the coming games." Iqbal on Bangladesh's preparations.
THE LOWDOWN:
England:
Morgan only arrived in the country on three days ahead of the game, but this is his fourth visit to Bangladesh and the culmination of a dream he held when playing for Ireland in the the West Indies in 2007.
His impact with Ireland in the previous event was always a stepping stone to his ultimate ambition of playing for England and just s couple of weeks after his dream looked to have been shattered, Morgan is determined to make the most of his second chance.
"I have played a World Cup for Ireland but all through that World Cup I said I wanted to play for England, which has always been the bigger picture and bigger plan. So it is a dream come true," he said.
Recovery from his broken middle finger has meant that he has not been able to bat in the nets as much as he would have liked, but his lack of preparation will not be a factor.
"I don't feel that undercooked or underprepared. I feel very fresh and I feel ready. It is my fourth time in Bangladesh and the only thing I have to adjust to is the heat," he said.
"Conditions are always challenging here. Different bounce, turn in the pitches but I am hoping that I can reproduce some past performances. The figner has healed up quite nicely. It is pretty strong at the moment."
The Dublin-born left-hander has a batting average of 38.08 from 61 one-day internationals, with four hundreds and 10 fifties, and was a key member of the England side that won the ICC World Twenty20 last year.
Bangladesh:
Cricket fever has gripped Chittagong despite the national team's lacklustre display so far and this will be another 18,000 sell-out.
And opener Iqbal, who was born in Chittagong, is looking forward to the occasion and believes his side have recovered mentally from the debacle against the West Indies.
"I love playing here, playing in front of friends and family. Tere is no extra pressure, I just want to do well in a World Cup match in my own city," he said.
"The tournament being played here is a very big deal for me and everyone who lives here. The World Cup will take Chittagong to the next level. I am very happy for the city.
"The players have recovered well from the West Indies game and we know that everything will change if we do something special against England.
If Bangladesh fail, Iqbal wants no repeat of the unsavoury scenes in Mirpur, adding: "My request to the public is that they should not do such silly things.
"We win one day, we lose one day, these things happen in cricket. Fans need to support us in good and bad times."
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