CT 2017: Mashrafe Mortaza requests fans not to expect Bangladesh to win the tournament

Team Bangladesh stunned the New Zealand team for the second time in the last three weeks. Their superlative win over the black caps now sees them seal the semi-final berth in the ongoing edition of the Champions Trophy. Needless to say, the team is very happy with the results and so is their skipper Mashrafe Mortaza. However, the Bangladeshi skipper has requested the fans to lower their expectations now that they have reached the semis.

As per the quotes in the Times of India, Mashrafe Mortaza called the moment as a historic one for Bangladesh cricket. He noted that the success is the eventual effort of gradual and continued good work. However, he asked the fans to refrain from expecting more.

“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. 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,” said Mashrafe Mortaza.

On the team morale

Adding further on the same note, Mashrafe Mortaza remarked that the team will now be focusing on their next assignment. He is happy that the team has received immense success in the recent past. They are not concerned about which team they take on in the semi-finals and are only keen on doing well.

“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. It can be any team and we are not thinking about that. Our focus for the next few days will be to prepare ourselves for the next game,” conceded Mortaza.

Coach praises Mahmudullah

One of the chief architects of the Bangladesh win in the match against New Zealand was Mahmudullah. He came in at a time when the team was struggling at 34/3. He then added 224 runs with Shakib Al Hasan to ensure that the team was over the line. En route the partnership, he notched up his third century in the ICC events. Batting coach Thilan Samaraweera praised the way Mahmudullah has made the number 6 position his own.

“We have given him (Mahmudullah) a role around six months ago, which is to bat at number six. He has responded well batting there. 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 Ireland and against New Zealand on Friday,” noted Samaraweera.