Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has told his reigning World T20 champions to take Bangladesh as seriously as Australia when they begin their title defence on Saturday. Pakistan wrap up their Group A engagements against Australia on Sunday.

With the top two teams in each of the four groups going through to the Super Eights, both Pakistan and Australia are expected to qualify. However, Afridi told the ICC podcast on Thursday: “Playing in this cricket, anything can happen. It’s about what happens on the day. I want to see the same body language whether we are playing Bangladesh or Australia.”

Thrust into leadership after a series of suspensions on Pakistan players following a winless tour of Australia, Afridi remains his team’s most important player in this tournament.

And captaincy may be having an effect. “I think as the defending champions, there is some pressure,” Afridi said. “There is extra responsibility on me as captain to set an example. But we’ve got a good team and I’m, quite happy. This is the right time for us to play some good cricket. That’s what I am expecting from the guys.”