Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza on Sunday called for expectations from his team to be downgraded after his team made the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy on Saturday following England’s win over Australia, reported Reuters.
“It’s a big thing for our cricket. It is an opportunity for us but I want to request everybody not to think we will go all the way to win the title,” said the captain in Cardiff. “It’s a tournament of the top eight teams and more challenging than the World Cup. So, to be in the semi-final is itself an achievement for us. It is also a reward for our continued effort towards improving our game.”
He added, “I think everyone has contributed to what we are today. The whole nation will be with us as they were in our desperate times and good times”.
Bangladesh made the semi-finals of the ongoing Champions Trophy, their first semi-final progression in any ICC tournament, thanks to a rousing victory over New Zealand on Friday. That gave them three points in their group and was enough for them to progress following a loss against England and a washed-out match against Australia.
Mahmudullah and Shakib Al Hasan were the architects of Bangladesh’s win over the Kiwis, sharing a massive partnership of 224 runs which helped them chase down 266. Both Shakib and Mahmudullah scored centuries and Bangladesh’s batting coach Thilan Samaraweera picked out Mahmudullah for special praise.
“We have given him (Mahmudullah) a role around six months ago, which is to bat at number six. He has responded well batting there,” said Samaraweera. ““He was actually batting further up when I took the job in 2015 but after that, the coaching staff thought about getting him ready for the 2019 World Cup with the role at six. He is doing well there, finishing the game for the team recently, in (the recent tri-series in) Ireland and against New Zealand on Friday.”
