Bangladesh one-day international captain Mashrafee bin Murtaza (R) shares a light moment Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan during a programme at Mirpur on Tuesday. — BCB photo
Bangladesh skipper Mashrafee bin Muratza on Tuesday refused to pay too much attention to the performance of Dhaka Premier League before the selection of squad for the forthcoming World Cup.
Several players performed extraordinarily well in the ongoing DPL, giving the selectors a timely reminder of their talent and form before the crucial selection.
Batsman Anamul Haque grabbed the headlines by hitting three successive hundreds in the league while all-rounder Farhad Reza claimed 17 wickets in five matches to stake his claim.
‘I am not too much bothered about DPL because have seen it many times that people struggle in international cricket despite hitting hundreds day after day here,’ Mashrafee told reporters at a programme in Dhaka.
‘Wicket or intent (in our domestic cricket) are no longer near to international cricket.
‘For me mentality is very important. Whether the player is mentally prepared or what he is doing specifically is important. I think World Cup is a mental game.’
Mashrafee backed Anamul earlier in 2018 following his similar performances in domestic cricket but the 26-year old right-hander failed to grab his opportunities despite being given repeated chances.
Anamul could score just 88 runs in six matches after making a comeback to the side with a tri-series tournament in Dhaka.
Anamul’s return to form in DPL coincided with the recent poor performance of Liton Das, who scored just three runs in as many one-day internationals in New Zealand.
Mashrafee poured cold water on any excitement Anamul had after his dazzling show by fully backing Liton to come good in the World Cup.
‘We have seen it recently the quality of Liton, what kind of player Liton is. I am talking about Asia Cup final. I think he can be a destroyer. He has this potential,’ he said.
Liton scored a scintillating hundred in the Asia Cup final in September though he could manage only one fifty in the other five matches of the tournament in UAE.
Mashrafee suggested Bangladesh’s batting coach Neil McKenzie is also working with Liton to improve his consistency level.
’The batting coach is also working with him. Here, actually consistency is important. I hope if Liton plays his natural game and then it will be a big advantage for our team,’ he added.
Bangladesh are likely to announce their World Cup squad in late April before the team leaves for Ireland to play a tri-series involving the hosts and West Indies.
The deadline for announcing the World Cup squad is May 1.
Source: New Age.
