It is the first quarter-final of the Under-19 World Cup and although Bangladesh find themselves facing a comparatively weaker opponent, Nepal, the home side are not taking the encounter at the Sher-e-Bangla National stadium lightly.
A win will see the junior Tigers register their best ever result in the competition’s history – their previous best was a fifth-placed finish in 2006 – but more than that, with the group of players they have at their disposal, Bangladesh actually has that flare and promise to make it to the final on home soil.
“Bangladesh has never played a semi-final before, so I will feel good if we win against Nepal, it will be a big achievement. We (this squad) will be the first to play a semi-final for Bangladesh,” said Bangladesh U-19 captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz yesterday.
“Our target is to make it to the semi-final first, and take it from there. In knockouts, there is no scope for error. If we lose we are gone, so the focus is on the quarter-final.
“We know about Nepal and we do not have to take them lightly. As they have made it to the quarter-final, they are obviously a very good team. If we take them lightly then it might become tricky for us. We will not take them lightly, but follow our process and keep improving,” he added.
The 18-year-old all-rounder, who took six wickets at the expense of 76 runs with his off-spin in three group matches, said leading the talented bunch of cricketers to the quarters is not only exciting for him, but it also motivates him to do well further.
Miraz also said, “We have an opportunity to do well, and we will give our best and not lag behind. We will continue to put effort in the similar way we have been in practice and match-days. We will not try to experiment and play like we have played in the past three matches.”
Meanwhile, Mizanur Rahman Babul, the U-19 coach, believes his charges have the confidence and capability to reach the last four in the tournament. He, however, also pointed out the failure of the opening batting pair – Pinak Ghosh and Saif Hasan – and said, “We are working on it and hopefully with God’s grace, they will come good.”
