ZCZC
BSP-19
CRICKET-WC-RAZZAK
No disgrace to loss to England: Razzak
DHAKA, June 9, 2019 (BSS)- Former Bangladesh left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak said there is no disgrace in losing to England who came to play the tournament as the red-hot favourite.
England have never won the World Cup but the kind of team and the flair they have brought up this time, they are considered as the most favourite to lift the coveted trophy.
The hosts demolished Bangladesh by 106 runs after putting up their World Cup record 386-6. Terrorized by English bowlers vicious short balls, Bangladesh were dismissed for 280 in 48.5 overs.
England opener Jason Roy hammered a whirlwind 121 ball-153 to set the platform upfront which was nicely capitalized by in form Jos Butler who blasted 44 ball-64.
Apart from Shakib Al Hasan who struck 119 ball-121 runs to become only the second Bangladeshi player to hit a World Cup century after Mahmudullah Riyad, no other could put up fight.
“What can you do when you have a player like Jason Roy producing an innings like that? Sometimes you just have to sit back and admire world-class cricket,” Razzak was quoted in an ICC column.
“Bangladesh always knew that a game against England would be their hardest challenge and it’s no bad thing that the match has come nice and early in the tournament,” he added.
“England is the No.1 in one day cricket, they’ve got their best conditions as hosts and they will be very hard to stop – it’s no disgrace to lose that one.”
“Roy is some player, he’s a destructive batsman and he can totally change a match on his own. I would imagine lots of teams will be watching that performance and worrying.”
“England has many players who can do that but we have to play as a team, no single player can win a match for us. Every part of the team, the bowling, batting and fielding has to do well for us to be successful, as we saw against South Africa earlier in the tournament.”
Razzak however believed Bangladesh’s bowling let them down in the match.
“Although it was a super performance by Roy, our bowling let us down,” he said.
“Bangladesh will have to improve their first 10 overs against teams of this quality, we know that’s where they are going to attack us and we have to be ready for it.”
“There will be positives from the game and it was a super batting display by Shakib Al Hasan, I always knew that he’d do well in this tournament and we need him to maintain that form in the weeks ahead.”
“It doesn’t get any easier with Sri Lanka next up but I think we’ve a great chance to win that one. They’ve got some great players and it’ll be tough but we’ve got the edge in many ways.”
BSS/SMP/SMM/1905 hrs