Mash urges to play pressure-free cricket

Bangladesh youth team leaves for NZ tomorrow

With the hopes of semi-final Bangladesh youth team will take off in the early hour of Tuesday for New Zealand almost three weeks prior to their ICC Under-19 World Cup.

The 16-team showpiece event will begin on January 13 and ends on February 3.

The youth Tigers has set their first target to make their adjustment with the adverse New Zealand condition before getting down in World Cup mission what still remained unfulfilled.

Bangladesh ODI captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza on Sunday met with World Cup-bound Bangladesh contingent and shared his valuable experiences what he gathered throughout his decades-long cricket career.

Later Mashrafe suggested them to freely play and enjoy their game as much as possible as he said they could obviously play better cricket if they could play pressure free cricket.

The 32-year-old captain, of course, warns that the huge pressure will be fallen on them if they play targeting semi-final or final or winning trophy, from where it’ll be tough for them to play better cricket what should not be aimed at in their WC journey.       

“The hard work they’ve been doing for the last one-two years it’s time for them to apply it in field. But what I want to say is that they’ve to stay mentally stronger because after going there they’d be thought everything including weather-condition will be against them,” said Mashrafe Bin Mortaza

“It’s normal that the condition in New Zealand will not be easier what we faced while our national team goes there. So, I told them to play in delighted mind. U-19 is such a time while they’ll play pressure free cricket and enjoy cricket as much as possible. We shouldn’t give pressure on them to go into semifinal or final rather than I suggested so they’d play cricket with freedom,” Mashrafe told reporters after his cordial meet with the budding cricketers.

“Our expectation should be to them so they’d give a tough fight, work hard and deliver their hundred percent in field because they’ll come to represent Bangladesh after three-four years. So, it’s time for them to play in delighted mind and what should be needed for them to learn they could for the better performance,” he added.

Drawing a comparison between wickets in the bilateral series and World Cup, the ODI captain said World Cup’s wickets will be better than the bilateral series but he suggested they’d prioritise to first make their habituation with the condition after going there.

“The wicket will not be same as what it’s in a bilateral series. There is a demand for wickets in World Cup so every team could perform what we always see in Australia-New Zealand. So my belief if weather couldn’t make any big issue, wickets will then be flat and even,” the paceman said.

“I also believe that they’ll get better wicket in World Cup on what wickets they’ll practice in the pre-tournament period. But it’ll be hard work for the bowlers to bowl against the winds, which could play a vital role in New Zealand,” he also said.

“So, the first work for them in New Zealand will be to make their adjustment with the wickets. As of now, they’ll go there 15-20 more days earlier of the tournament, they could be made their adjustment,” he added.

Saif Hassan, captain of Bangladesh Under-19 cricket team, acknowledged the matter and said that what suggestion Mashrafe bhai gave us that will be benefited them in the World Cup.

“Mashrafe bhai told us about New Zealand’s condition which will motivate us. Actually he always gives us his support. It’s not that he supports us only this time he does it in the past also. Hopefully it’ll benefit for us in World Cup,” Saif Hassan said.

“We played Asia Cup as the last international tournament. So, players’ motivation level remained very good. After coming from Asia Cup, we played another two practice matches against the senior players at BKSP which have been better for us,” he said of their last moment preparation.

They’ll play three warm-up matches against Auckland XI alongside two formal practice matches against Afghanistan and Pakistan before stepping into World Cup.

Mash urges to play pressure-free cricket

Bangladesh youth team leaves for NZ tomorrow

With the hopes of semi-final Bangladesh youth team will take off in the early hour of Tuesday for New Zealand almost three weeks prior to their ICC Under-19 World Cup. The 16-team showpiece event will begin on January 13 and ends on February 3. The youth Tigers has set their first target to make their adjustment with the adverse New Zealand condition before getting down in World Cup mission what still remained unfulfilled. Bangladesh ODI captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza on Sunday met with World Cup-bound Bangladesh contingent and shared his valuable experiences what he gathered throughout his decades-long cricket career. Later Mashrafe suggested them to freely play and enjoy their game as much as possible as he said they could obviously play better cricket if they could play pressure free cricket. The 32-year-old captain, of course, warns that the huge pressure will be fallen on them if they play targeting semi-final or final or winning trophy, from where itll be tough for them to play better cricket what should not be aimed at in their WC journey. The hard work theyve been doing for the last one-two years its time for them to apply it in field. But what I want to say is that theyve to stay mentally stronger because after going there theyd be thought everything including weather-condition will be against them, said Mashrafe Bin Mortaza Its normal that the condition in New Zealand will not be easier what we faced while our national team goes there. So, I told them to play in delighted mind. U-19 is such a time while theyll play pressure free cricket and enjoy cricket as much as possible. We shouldnt give pressure on them to go into semifinal or final rather than I suggested so theyd play cricket with freedom, Mashrafe told reporters after his cordial meet with the budding cricketers. Our expectation should be to them so theyd give a tough fight, work hard and deliver their hundred percent in field because theyll come to represent Bangladesh after three-four years. So, its time for them to play in delighted mind and what should be needed for them to learn they could for the better performance, he added. Drawing a comparison between wickets in the bilateral series and World Cup, the ODI captain said World Cups wickets will be better than the bilateral series but he suggested theyd prioritise to first make their habituation with the condition after going there. The wicket will not be same as what its in a bilateral series. There is a demand for wickets in World Cup so every team could perform what we always see in Australia-New Zealand. So my belief if weather couldnt make any big issue, wickets will then be flat and even, the paceman said. I also believe that theyll get better wicket in World Cup on what wickets theyll practice in the pre-tournament period. But itll be hard work for the bowlers to bowl against the winds, which could play a vital role in New Zealand, he also said. So, the first work for them in New Zealand will be to make their adjustment with the wickets. As of now, theyll go there 15-20 more days earlier of the tournament, they could be made their adjustment, he added. Saif Hassan, captain of Bangladesh Under-19 cricket team, acknowledged the matter and said that what suggestion Mashrafe bhai gave us that will be benefited them in the World Cup. Mashrafe bhai told us about New Zealands condition which will motivate us. Actually he always gives us his support. Its not that he supports us only this time he does it in the past also. Hopefully itll benefit for us in World Cup, Saif Hassan said. We played Asia Cup as the last international tournament. So, players motivation level remained very good. After coming from Asia Cup, we played another two practice matches against the senior players at BKSP which have been better for us, he said of their last moment preparation. Theyll play three warm-up matches against Auckland XI alongside two formal practice matches against Afghanistan and Pakistan before stepping into World Cup.