Bangladesh ODI captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza believes only team effort can enable the Tigers to finish with a good result at the Asia Cup. Two-time finalist Bangladesh will open their campaign against five-time Asia Cup champion Sri Lanka in the tournament opener at Dubai International Cricket Stadium Saturday.
Below-par contribution from cricketers, apart from the five key members in the shape of Mashrafe, Shakib al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah, has been a common discussion in the past few months.
The side have struggled or lost matches when the key members fail on a particular day. Mashrafe believes one cannot count on just the senior players of the team and expect a good result. The veteran right-arm pacer emphasised that Bangladesh’s recent successes have come riding over team efforts, and not individuals.
The growing cricket rivalry between @BCBtigers and @OfficialSLC is expected to give the Asia Cup an exciting start. The two sides will face off in the tournament opener at Dubai International Cricket Stadium Saturday.https://t.co/kMPfhBLVxj#BCB #TIGERS #BCBTIGERS #CRICKET #SLC
— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) September 14, 2018
“I am hopeful that they will perform for the team’s cause and help produce a good result in the tournament. At the same time, they also need better opportunity. Recently, there are a few players who have been doing well. So those in form, I have trust on them. The players we have in the team now have played for at least three years and there are some who have played for 10 years, like Rubel (Hossain). They need to step up. Three-four years is a long time in international cricket and they must have adjusted to the international pressure,” said Mashrafe to the media at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai Friday.
“You cannot count on just four or five players and win the tournament or finish with a good result. There will be bad phases but it is important to play as a team. The matches we have won so far have come from team effort and it is important for them to step up,” said Mashrafe.
With the Tigers taking on Sri Lanka yet again this year, discussion over the growing rivalry has resurfaced. The last time these two sides met, during the Nidahas Trophy T20I in Colombo earlier this year, the cricketing world witnessed one of the most heated on-field arguments between the players in recent times regarding a decision from the on-field umpire.
With a day off Thursday, a number of @BCBtigers cricketers led by @TamimOfficial28 went to a recent sensation of world food industry, Nusr-Et, a Turkish steak house famous for its food, and also because of its owner Nusret Gokce, nicknamed Salt Bae.https://t.co/MuvKgsBkXC#BAE
— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) September 14, 2018
Mashrafe however, believes such incidents will not motivate the players and suggested it is not wise to carry such incidents from the past.
“You cannot bring an event from the past on the field. Honestly, those incidents do not come in mind while you are playing. Main focus is to win by playing good game of cricket. It is not the time for us to think of any other facts, and I do not think there is importance of this on the field,” Mashrafe explained.
“The motivation should remain by itself when you are playing for your country. No one is enemy here. Yes, incidents happen when two teams are playing but those are just because of the heat of the moment and do not carry forward. For me, these are unnecessary things,” he added.
