Tamim back as Tigers meet Proteas in 2nd ODI Wednesday
Dhaka: Bangladesh will take on hosts South Africa in the second match of the three-match one-day international series at Boland Park in Paarl on Wednesday.
The battle will begin at 2:00pm Bangladesh time where the 7th-ranked Tigers must look forward to level the series against the top-ranked Proteas who have taken a 1-0 lead in the series with an emphatic 10 wickets victory in the first game held in Kimberley.
Bangladesh's best opener Tamim Iqbal, who could not recover in time for the series opener from his muscle strain, is fit to be available for the second match where the visitors will be desperately seeking to pull off a win to keep the series hope alive.
Tamim could displace Imrul Kayes at the top of the order. However, Imrul Kayes may yet be needed if Mushfiqur Rahim, who tweaked a hamstring while scoring his hundred on Sunday, is rested.
Shafiul Islam will join the side as cover for the best limited-over pacer Mustafizur Rahman whose twisted ankle is likely to keep him out.
Mashrafe Bin Mortaza-led ODI side has to play at a great higher level in the game than it has so far on what has been a hapless tour -- with 0-2 clean sweep in Test series under Mushfiqur Rahim.
There is not much wrong in South Africa's side, but Wayne Parnell, who sat out the first ODI because of a groin strain, has been ruled out of the series while Wiaan Mulder, the 19-year-old fast-bowling all-rounder, has taken his place.
In the first ODI, the total of 278/7 - Bangladesh's highest ODI score against the South Africa with Mushfiqur Rahim's unbeaten century of 110 as the first by a Bangladeshi against South Africa -- would have made the Tigers feel confident at the halfway stage.
But it went in vain as by the time Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla were done stroking their way to unbeaten centuries overhauling the seemingly steep target in just 42.5 overs scoring 282/0.
In their previous 18 ODI encounters since October 2002, Bangladesh managed three wins against 15 defeats against South Africa.
Bangladesh best XI (probable): Tamim Iqbal, Liton Kumar Das, Shakib al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim/Imrul Kayes, Mahmudullah Riyad, Sabbir Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Mohammad Saifuddin, Rubel Hossain and Taskin Ahmed
South Africa best XI (probable): Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis (captain) AB de Villiers, Jean-Paul Duminy, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dane Paterson, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir