The last thing a Bangladeshi fan needed was a demoralizing statement from the leader of the pack after the team went down to lowly rated Ireland in a warm up match. Whenever a captain publicly expresses his dissatisfaction over the lackadaisical attitude of some of his players, it is an indication that all is not well in the camp.
The team’s think tank on the tour could have easily spun this feeling of dejection and presented it to the public in a much more positive manner.
“We took this Ireland match lightly, which on hindsight we should not have, and paid the price. The team discussed this loss, learnt from it and we are mentally and physically prepared for our official matches,” should have been the statement from Tigers skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza.
Afghanistan, on paper and on record, is not the team to beat Bangladesh. However, it is all about self-belief and having the desire to win. Afghanistan’s confidence comes from its own performance over the past decade. This is a team that has gradually developed into a team that is challenging and winning against all Associate Members. This team now has the audacious belief that they can win against a Full Member country and the two teams that are in their crosshairs are Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Bangladesh on the other hand has been struggling throughout with a few wins here and there. The overall performance has not only been disappointingly erratic, but overwhelmingly bizarre. While they have won two ODI series at home against New Zealand in 2010 and 2013, they regressed by losing to teams like Ireland, Scotland and Afghanistan, not forgetting the T20 loss to Hong Kong.
Shakib al Hasan must come to play with his boots on, just as much as Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah, Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim must.
Other than an implosion from within, I don’t see this team losing to Afghanistan. I once again reiterate the simple principle of Bangladesh’s batting strategy – Tamim must bat long into the innings. He needs to look at this match as a Test Match and play with a strike rate of 70 to 75. With the others playing around him Bangladesh should get to 270 plus, which in my mind should be a winning score. Bangladesh does have the bowlers to contain the “Pathans” in the likes of Mashrafe, Shakib, Mahmuddullah and hopefully Taijul Islam.
For Afghanistan to create an upset, they will require two factors to help them. One will be Bangladesh’s self-destruct approach to the game (which the Pathans will pray for) and the other, their own confidence. In Mohammed Nabi (the veteran) they have an astute leader and a useful all-rounder. Nabi has a fairly decent supporting cast that consists of successful utility players in the two Zadrans and Asghar Stanikzai. Overall, it is team that does not have any headline makers but as a unit they are capable of creating a few headaches for the opposition.
Mashrafe and his men must come out of the negativity of the recent past and walk into this match in Canberra with a fresh mind set, exhibiting unity and confidence. The past does not matter and has no relevance to the matches that lie ahead. Bangladesh needs to win this match like no other match played ever before. The win will restore the team’s confidence as they proceed into the tournament. A loss, while unthinkable, will be the beginning of a nightmarish journey into near oblivion.
Let us not have the “fear factor” rule the players’ minds. Having made my assessment of the two teams, I still believe Bangladesh will scrape through this one with full marks.
