||Desk Report||

Bangladesh head coach Steve Rhodes said that he is waiting to see how the younger corps of players grab their opportunities against Afghanistan in the ongoing Asia Cup.

The Tigers began their Asia Cup by registering a rousing 137-run win over Sri Lanka but on the other hand they have got some problem to solve when they take on the Afghans on Thursday (September 20).

As per the team insiders, Mushfiqur Rahim, who is struggling with a rib injury, will miss the game against Afghanistan as the think-tank believe it is better to rest him for having his fresh leg against India in the Super Four matches, that is scheduled on the next day.

Meanwhile, Tamim Iqbal is ruled out already after he broke his hand in the opening game against Sri Lanka and as a result there are few slots to be filled by Mominul Haque, Nazmul Hossain, and Ariful Haqu. 

As that euphoria – it was not just the margin of victory but the character shown in order to recover from a precarious situation – may now be dissipating as the Bangladesh camp ponder the enormity of the challenges lying ahead.

Tamim, the opener who lit the spark for so many wins in the past, is out of the tournament and now in Dhaka nursing a fractured left hand suffered during the opener. Mushfiqur, who hit his career-best 144 on Saturday, is struggling with a rib injury.

Bangladesh awill have to play three matches (on 20, 21, and 23 September) in four days starting with their last group encounter against Afghanistan, who knocked Sri Lanka out of the event on Monday. In heat they have never experienced as a team before this tournament, those combined factors spell a warning for Bangladesh and the Tigers may heed it, with optimistic new coach Steve Rhodes seeing it as an opportunity instead of a setback.

“We haven't sat down to finalize things for Afghanistan. It's quite a hectic schedule, there is a lot of cricket to play in a very short space of time in very tough conditions.

“Changes might be necessary but the bottom line is that every single one of those games in ODIs is important and we want to win.

“But that might mean winning with different players as well. Bringing players in, resting an odd player here and there. It would be great exposure for the other guys and that what we will try to do. Bringing an odd player here and there but most of all we want to win,” he said.

The Englishman further added that he is not interested in the new guys trying to do anything apart from playing their natural game.