Mashrafe: Time to show what Bangladesh are capable of

Following lots of calculations and a long wait, sparks will finally fly in the much awaited 2017 Champions Trophy when Bangladesh take on host England in the tournament opener at Kennington Oval on Thursday. Putting aside the two defeats in the warm-up games recently, one must admit that Bangladesh have been playing some brilliant cricket for the last two years and as a consequence, expectations from the fans have grown significantly. When asked what this Champions Trophy campaign means to the Tigers, captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza informed that they have their own expectations to fulfil and prove the world just what Bangladesh are capable of. “As I said previously, we are here because we are the No 6 ranked side in the world at the moment. Even if we were No 8, we would have qualified. Still, many probably thought Bangladesh would not get to play the Champions Trophy. But we are here by playing better cricket,” Mashrafe told the media in the pre-match press conference in London on Wednesday. “And for that, we can feel proud of ourselves. Obviously, we are not here only to participate. We also have our own expectations, apart from the fans. So this is the time to prove our worth as everyone will be watching us. I can’t say we will win but we will give our best and try to play according to expectations,” he said. The 33-year old kept his feet firmly on the ground and accepted the opponent's strength. Mashrafe informed that England have been playing brilliant cricket lately and will also have home advantage in their favour. Meanwhile, the wins over England in the 2011 and 2015 World Cup are being discussed a lot heading into the game but according to the “Narail Express” Thursday's game will be a totally different affair altogether. “Look, it was a long time back. And since then, England are a totally different team. The way they are playing, if you look at the last two years, their performance, they won almost everything. And especially at home, they are a serious side. You just can't say we are going to win again. But we know that we are also a better side; that we are an improving side. Also, we are playing pretty much good cricket in the last two or three years,” said Mashrafe. “Overseas has always been a challenge. Not for us but all teams. I hope this time we'll play at our best because this is the first time we will play the Champions Trophy; it's well deserved. So I guess the boys are very, very excited. Hopefully they will deliver their best,” he added.