Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto had spoken of his desire to see his side in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy ahead of their departure for Dubai a few days ago.

However, former cricketers are not all aligned with his remarks it seems. A few days ago, former Australia captain Ricky Pointing had said that he thought Afghanistan had a better chance of reaching the semifinals than Bangladesh. Now South Africa's ex-captain AB de Villiers has weighed on the topic,, casting his doubts about Bangladesh's prospects in the tournament.

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‘Afghanistan could have a better Champions Trophy than Bangladesh’

Bangladesh, who made the semifinals of the last edition in 2017, have been grouped with India, Pakistan and New Zealand in Group A.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, de Villiers said, "I honestly don't think Bangladesh (are) going to make the knockouts. Bangladeshi fans might not like me saying this, but I have to be honest."

De Villiers, however, acknowledged that Bangladesh have the ability to cause upsets. "They certainly have the ability to surprise a few teams, maybe even one of the bigger sides. But making it to the semifinals will be a huge challenge," he added.