SYLHET, Feb 29, 2020 (BSS)-While some of the Bangladeshi cricketers gave an impression that it would be easier to inflict a whitewash on Zimbabwe, captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza doesn’t want to take anything for granted.
Mashrafe said, Bangladesh should take it match by match rather thinking of
whitewash right at the moment.
Even though he believes, Bangladesh has the capability to sweep the three-
match series, the captain said, the Zimbabwe is also here to beat the hosts
and they won’t let them to make it a cake-walk.
“Yes we have won consistently against them but if you notice, you will see
some of the matches were very close. And they could have won it. So when they
are close, it means they are able to beat us in this format,” Mashrafe said
before the first ODI, which takes place tomorrow (Sunday) at the Sylhet
International Cricket Stadium.
“In International cricket, no opponents are easier. I believe Zimbabwe has
the ability to beat us, so we should be very careful.”
Bangladesh never lost any ODI match to Zimbabwe since 2013. In this period,
they played 13 matches against them and won all of the matches. They also
inflicted whitewash on the Southern African opponents for the last three
series including a five-match series in 2014.
Mashrafe said what is important is to start the series well by winning the
first game.
“As I said earlier, we have to come up with all guns blazing right from the
start. The start is in fact very important. We will obviously go match by
match. We want to win the first match first and then we’ll think about the
second and then if we can win that too, we will obviously go for sweeping the
series. Right at this moment, it is absolutely not correct to say that we’ll
whitewash them. They are also here to beat us,” he remarked.
Moreover this will be Bangladesh’s first ODI series since July 2019 and so
there is question of discomfort playing this format after so long time.
Mashrafe admits of some discomfort but insisted once they would start well,
they will be back to their groove.
“There will be some sign of discomfort as we will play this format after so
long time. But we can overcome it by starting well. Whatever we do-be it
batting or bowling, we have to make a good beginning. If the beginning is
good, the discomfort will be quelled,” he said.
The captain thinks that the pressure will be on Bangladesh, considering the
fact that a defeat against Zimbabwe won’t be accepted by the cricket
fraternity here.
“If we win against Zimbabwe, it won’t be discussed because it is expected
but if we lose any match against them, we’ll be more criticized, so we have
to be careful in every step,” he concluded.