Today, Dhaka hosts the World Cup opening ceremony but a lot of eyes will also be on the Bangladesh team. Could they provide a real upset in 2011? Fifteen years ago, Sri Lanka upset the status quo by winning the World Cup. Until 1996 they had been the World Cup whipping boys, able to win the occasional game but nowhere near the standard required to reach a semi or a final. However, all changed in India/Pakistan. Benefiting from a few walkovers when Australia and West Indies refused to play in Colombo because of the civil war, Sri Lanka nonetheless proceeded to beat Kenya, India (twice) and England on their way to meet the hot favourites Australia. Mark Taylor's side boasted the likes of Warne, McGrath, both Waughs, Ponting, Stuart Law and the arch-finisher Michael Bevan, yet they were undone by the brilliance of Aravinda de Silva ,who scored a brilliant century and took 3-42. Now Sri Lanka are one of the best one-day teams in the world and runners-up four years ago.
In 1996, Sri Lanka fielded three or four players of genuine world class - Jayasuriya, Da Silva, Vaas and Muralitharan - although it would take that World Cup to demonstrate it. In Shakib al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal, Bangladesh possess two great stars of the modern game. Shakib has developed into a true all-rounder, combining economical spin bowling with middle-order hard-hitting and under his captaincy they have given England a few frights and thrashed New Zealand 4-0. Tamim Iqbal is the new Jayasuriya or, dare I say it, Sehwag. He has no fear of any bowler and goes for his shots in all forms of the game, and could be a real match-winner in the coming weeks. Even at 17, he had the nerve to hit Zaheer Khan for an enormous six!
Another asset of the Bangladesh squad is its youth. Abdur Razzaq, at 28, is the oldest member so what they lack in experience they gain in hunger for success and proving themselves at the highest level. With some home advantage, they must really fancy their chances of reaching the quarter-finals. They should defeat the Dutch and Irish, and also have the talent to worry the West Indies and England. India and South Africa could prove harder nuts to crack but the former have been known to crack under pressure and so Shakib et al may capitalise on first-game nerves this weekend.
Could they repeat Sri Lanka's momentous feat of 1996? Well, for Jayasuriya and Da Silva, read Tamim Iqbal and Shakib al Hasan. However, Bangladesh don't really possess a Murali or Vaas and so it's hard to envisage them bowling top teams out cheaply. I think they are no longer unknown quantities but I wouldn't bet against them beating, say, South Africa or the West Indies and thus qualifying from the group stage. To go all the way? No, not this year but if the current young squad maintains their recent improvement, they could all be very dangerous opponents in four years' time!
