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CRICKET-WC-EXPERT-OPINION
‘Best World Cup team’ tag may create pressure: Lipu
DHAKA, April 16, 2019 (BSS)- While the selectors termed the Bangladesh’s squad for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup as ‘best world cup team of the country’s history’, former national captain Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu said the tag could create an unnecessary pressure on the players.
Lipu, also a former BCB director and cricket operations chief didn’t differ with the fact that it is so far the best team that the selectors could give. “I agree at the moment it’s the best team,”
Ashraf told the BSS in his immediate reaction about the Bangladesh’s squad that was announced today.
“The squad consist what is required to play well in the English condition but the tag like ‘the best world cup squad of the country’s history’ is totally unnecessary. It would rather create an unnecessary pressure on the players.”
The selection panel led by Minhajul Abedin Nannu said the squad has the ability to conquer the English condition. “This is by far the best World Cup squad of the country’s history. It’s a well balanced team that has ability to thrive in the English condition,” Abedin told in a jam-packed press conference while announcing the team.
The chief selector also expected that with the team Bangladesh have the ability to make the last four spot. According to most of the cricket pundits around the world, this World Cup is going to be the most open tournament in the event’s history.
With so many ifs and buts surrounding the teams and conditions, they even said the 2019 World Cup is a prediction minefield; exactly as an elite tournament should be. Each team will take on each other in a grueling format of the tournament this time to make the cut in the semifinal, which will be tougher for each team, said Lipu.
“You have to be best equipped and a good bench players since you have to travel a lot and play a lot of matches,” he said. Most of the Bangladesh players haven’t been in form, a factor that also made Gazi Ashraf worried.
“Hopefully they will regain the form by the time the World Cup starts. But if our experienced players failed and others couldn’t help them, it will be a disaster.”
“So I think our slogan should be to play competitive cricket given the reality that we are facing now. I don’t know whether the team can make the cut in the semifinal as per the expectation of the selectors but I will be happy if they can play competitive cricket,” Lipu concluded.
BSS/SMP/SMM/1900 hrs