Bangladesh, a tough side to beat: Shane Bond

Sport Desk: Former New Zealand pacer Shane Bond has heaped praises on Bangladesh cricket team, who have already stepped into the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy. He said, "In the last few years the sub-continent team has improved their game a lot."

On June 9, Tigers beat New Zealand by five wickets in the last battle of the group 'A' to knock out the Kiwis from the tournament.

In the match, the ace all-rounder Shakib Al-Hassan and Mahmudullah made history hitting centuries each and lifted Bangladesh to a new record of 224-run partnership.

"Credit to Bangladesh, needless to say. Over the last four or five years, Bangladesh has been tough to beat at home, but it has kicked on under coach Chandika Hathurusinghe and is constantly improving," Bond said.

He added that the way Tigers finished off the game against New Zealand after losing four wickets for just 33 runs showed very good composure.

"There is a lot of good talent in the Bangladeshi ranks, and it will be delighted at having made the semi-final, at the fact particularly that now, it is able to compete and win away from home as well. It is proving to be a tough side to beat in all conditions, which is excellent news for world cricket," Bond said.



risingbd/June 12, 2017/A K Azad