DHAKA, June 3, 2019 (BSS) – On a Oval wicket that was outright conducive to the batting, Bangladesh’s record 330-6 looked not enough to ensure a victory. And the way Faf Du Plessis and Aiden Markram were batting, South Africa looked well set to chase highest total of the World Cup to take the match away from the Tigers.
Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza said on that tricky moment the team’s plan is to no compromise with the fearless cricket, a brand of cricket that he believed helped his side beat the South Africa eventually by 21 runs.
”Mainly we talked about the game a day before it started. The thing that we discussed is that we have nothing to lose and we have to play fearless brand of cricket,” Mashrafe said.
“Even if we did badly here there is no point of giving excuse. Pressure will be there and we have to play with that too,” he said.
”We have to do the best possible things and we have to make sure that we don’t give up till the last ball,” he said when he was asked what was his message to his boys that forced them to put up such a clinical performance.
Many had qualms over Bangladesh’s ability to adjust with the modern power cricket when 300 above total are totally normal. On their first chance, Bangladesh showed they have to ability to do it regularly. They did it in some style as they managed to answer all their critics by putting their highest ODI total on the board and that too against one of the best bowling attack of the competition.
Mashrafe attributed this change down to the fearless brand of cricket also.
“If we can’t play fearless brand of cricket, it won’t be possible to score such big total against South Africa. They have best bowling attack but we just batted and bowled fearlessly,” Mashrafe remarked.
Mashrafe added that he is not expecting such performance all the time as they progress ahead in the competition, when he was asked whether it was message for other teams in the tournament
”It depends on how other teams are thinking about us. We are looking at every team as a big team and we will try to give our best,” he opined.
”We have to make sure that players don’t get injured, if everyone stays fit. It would be good for us. May be this won’t happen in every match, that’s for sure. But if everyone gives their best we have the ability to do a lot better,” he concluded.