Former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza believes that the national cricket team has the ability to beat at least one of the two big teams—South Africa and Sri Lanka—in their Group D fixtureto move to the next round.

Apart from South Africa and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh will get Nepal and Netherlands in their group. Since two teams will move to the Super 8, Bangladesh need three wins to be at safe position. 

"We have the ability to beat South Africa and Sri Lanka and we did in the past. So, I think we should win against South Africa and Sri Lanka. At least we should beat one of them,” Mashrafe said during after a press conference on the Bangabandhu Gold Cup International Kabaddi tournament at the Bangladesh Olympic Association auditorium today.

While Bangladesh won five out 16 T20 Internationals against Sri Lanka, they have never beaten South Africa in this format despite playing eight matches against them.

"But we had won an away series against South Africa, even though that was an ODI series. So when we did it in ODI, that too on their own soil, why it should be tough to beat them in T20s?  I feel that they will at least win against either South Africa or Sri Lanka,” he added. 

Mashrafe, the most successful captain in the country’s history, hopes that the Tigers won’t taste an upset against the associate teams like Nepal and Netherlands. 

“I have an experience that the people remain so much concerned when we play against associate nations. But if you fear about losing against them, it’s not good totally. What I feel that we must beat one of South Africa and Sri Lanka and then beat two associate nations. If we want to move to the next round, we have to materialize it.”

MSH

Bangladeshi wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim is set to feature for Fortune Barishal in the forthcoming Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

Mushfiqur had played for Sylhet Strikers in the last edition. His price was fixed at 80 lakhs in the players' draft according to the category. Which means he was in 'A' category.

The top category player will play along with other star players like Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Khaled Ahmed in Fortune Barishal.

Neymar said he was relishing “new challenges and opportunities in new places” after he joined Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal Tuesday, becoming the latest big name lured to the oil-rich Gulf state.

The Brazil forward, 31, ends a six-year stay in the French capital and follows in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane in swapping Europe for the Middle East.

“I have achieved a lot in Europe and enjoyed special times, but I have always wanted to be a global player and test myself with new challenges and opportunities in new places,” Neymar said in a statement from the Saudi Pro League.

“I want to write new sporting history, and the Saudi Pro League has tremendous energy and quality players at the moment,” he added.

Neymar was “in negotiations” on Sunday to become the latest football superstar to decamp for Saudi Arabia, leaving Paris Saint-Germain just as Kylian Mbappe was brought back in from the cold by the French champions.

A source close to PSG told AFP that 31-year-old Neymar “no longer figures in the club or manager’s plans” with the Brazilian immediately linked to Al-Hilal in the Gulf kingdom.

Another source in Saudi Arabia said that “direct negotiations” between Neymar’s agents and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) were ongoing.