Tigers eagerly looking for England series
Mushfiq slams unbeaten 90 in practice match
Sports Reporter
The national cricketers came in action with proper cricket after a quite long time while they kept the finger crossed about Englands response for the upcoming tour in Bangladesh.
The England cricket team is given a briefing at early hour today (As per Bangladesh Time) by a three-man security team that visited Bangladesh last week, and it is understood that the tour may hinge on the briefing.
While the 30 players who are in the preliminary camp were playing the cricket, split into two groups at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, their focus was on the meeting, which is being held 5000 miles away from the stadium. At least they want some cricket after being deprived of the international cricket since their participation to the World T20 in February-March this year. If the Test cricket is taken into the consideration Bangladesh has not been playing the format since the July, 2015.
Although the Bangladesh players didnt express their concern publicly over the uncertainty of the tour, they looked little bit tensed ever since the report was published that the Englands security advisor Reg Dickason was worried about the travel within the cities of Dhaka and Chittagong rather than the hotels where the team will stay or the grounds where they will play.
Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza had already urged the England, saying that the government and BCB would do everything for a smooth visit of the England team here.
The past record of England however gave Bangladeshi players a glimmer of hope that England wont pull out the tour like Australia and the outcome of the meeting between England players and the security team would be positive.
However amid the concern and hope, they played cricket under the name of BCB Green and Red Team. Even though it was a practice match without any official recognition, it was the first time after June 22 when the Dhaka Premier League was ended, they came in proper action.
Mashrafe Bin Mortaza led Red Team beat Nasir Hossain led Green Team by three wickets in a low-scoring affair. While all the players played the match, Shakib Al Hasan wasnt included in any of the team as he was in rest.
In a pitch that held some uneven bounce, it was difficult to bat indeed but Mushfiqur himself showed his class to thrive in the tricky wicket.
He played a knock of unbeaten 90 from 109 balls while got proper support from Nasir Hossain who himself made 47 off 75. Taskin Ahmed was the wrecker-in-chief with four wickets, while Mashrafe claimed two wickets.
It was not straight cake-walk for Red Team however as Green pacers came up with disciplined bowling in favourable wicket. They cornered Green right from the start, making it evenly contest. But it was Mahmudullah Riyad, the ever consistent batsman for Bangladesh over the last two years, who stood tall amid the carnage. Making a patient 62 not out off 92, he led the sides revival. Young Mosaddek Hossain Saikat was there to aid him as Riyad helped the side seal the deal.
The performance of the match however will be counted when the selectors will trim the squad for the home series against England. But rather than the performance, all eyes for the time being are locked on the meeting as Bangladesh want the cricket badly.
