Tigers uptrend praiseworthy
Mash urges teammtes to play as a unit in future
Sports Reporter
Bangladesh showcased their best-ever performance in ICC Champions Trophy taking part for the second time after 2006. They broke into semifinal overtrumping the top-notch teams like Australia and New Zealand.
Two-year back, Bangladesh had played in quarter-final phase in Down-Under World Cup. But this time they played in semi-final in the Champions Trophy. This uptrend progress of Bangladesh cricket is no doubt praiseworthy.
ODI skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza like others considered Bangladesh teams performance in Champions Trophy as the biggest achievement than any other accomplishments in ICC events.
Tigers led by Mashrafe returned home from their 53-day-long tours after finishing a successful mission in United Kingdom (UK). The 50-over skipper shared his experience and answered to medias different questions at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport yesterday.
Mashrafe said that the performance in Champions Trophy outshone all the performances what Bangladesh did in the past.
World Cup is World Cup. But this eight-team tournament is more important than World Cup in terms of competitiveness. Crossing the hurdle of the group phase is tough more in Champions Trophy, said Mashrafe Bin Mortaza.
Besides, there are chances to come back in World Cup. But such chance is absence here. The group we were drawn, from where we could play in semifinal thats great thing for us. In that sense, I will keep our Champions Trophy performance forward what we did in World Cup two-year back, Mashrafe told media.
Citing the extraordinary innings of Mahmudullah Riyad and Shakib Al Hasan, the one-day skipper said that they could never play in semifinal if not they would play a jaw-dropping innings against New Zealand.
We could have not played semifinal if Mahmudullah and Shakib would not play that extraordinary innings, he said, added: As a player we should take it that we should play better more as the team what we could not do later. But we have to play more matured games for the next time.
Urging all his teammates, he also said that they have to play as a unit and matured game for the next times. For this they have to prepare mentally
Bowlers have to bowl well as a unit. This time they might not bowl better on such type of flat but they have to use this experience how they have to bowl on this deck. Its time for building up. In the next series, we should try to play better cricket. At the same time, they should be series-wise ready mentally and physically, he insisted, also following the shocking defeat to India in the semi-final fixture.
Regretting to not capitalise the chance to play in the dream final of the showpiece event in England, the paceman said that they have to use these experiences to their next series and tournaments.
We feel better to play in the semifinal. Then there was a bad feeling as we had a good opportunity. If we could produce another chance, we could then get another match chance to play but we could not do it, he said.
Obviously we are disappointing but thats meant that it has been stopped or will be stopped. The series or tournaments we have ahead it is now important to use these games, he also said.
