Following Bangladesh’s 3-0 win in the Test series the sentiment among Bangladesh’s cricket fans seemed to have changed a lot. The social media and the evening addas have been dominated by how the Tigers should romp to a 5-0 win in the ODI series as well.
While Bangladesh’s newly-appointed captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza appreciates the fervour, he prefers taking one step at a time.
“I don’t think anyone was sure of a 3-0 win until it actually was achieved. We played really well. However, I am not thinking of a 5-0 here. I can’t even say that we played okay cricket this year, we were quite bad in the ODIs. So winning the first match will be the key,” said Mashrafe at a pre-match press conference at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium here yesterday.
A new series and a new face was speaking for the Tigers, thanks to BCB’s latest policy of introducing two captains for the same tour. There have been talks about how the move could possibly affect the team. Mashrafe however, reckoned that everything would go well as long as they performed as a team.
“It won’t be too difficult for us to adjust. Players like Shakib [Al Hasan], Tamim [Iqbal] and Mushfiqur [Rahim] maybe exceptional, but I feel everyone in the team is pretty much the same and we all have a lot to learn. So rather than seeing who the leader of the team is, it’s important to see how well we play team-wise,” the 31-year-old believed.
Shakib played a crucial role in the Tests and his impetus is expected to be as threatening in the ODIs too. He has scored 1,158 runs against Zimbabwe, the highest from both sides. He also has 52 wickets against the visitors.
While Mashrafe termed Shakib as Bangladesh’s ‘top player’, he also hoped that the rest would give their best.
“As a captain the expectation that I have from Shakib is the same for every other player. Shakib can do a lot alone, but he can’t win us a match alone. He needs support. So I think the entire team needs to play well. Everyone should go to the field and believe that he can be the day’s best performer,” urged Mashrafe.
Source: The Daily Star
