Mashrafe urges Bangladesh to be positive
Mashrafe Mortaza © Cricfrenzy
Bangladesh registered their first win in the ongoing tour of the Caribbean by defeating UWI Vice Chancellors XI in a practice match on July 20. After a disappointing Test series, this victory will surely boost their morale ahead of the limited-over leg of the tour.
The Tigers’ ODI series opener against West Indies will be held in Guyana, on Sunday (July 22).
Bangladesh ODI skipper Mashrafe Mortaza has urged his team to be confident when they face the strong batting line-up of the hosts in the 50-over series. The visitors are well aware of the threat West Indies could pose with the likes of Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, and Andre Russell in the batting line-up.
“We have to be positive and do what we can against the challenge of facing a difficult West Indies batting line-up. We need to make sure we are doing the right things, like bowling in the right areas and exploiting their weaknesses. If we can get them out early, especially the top order, it will be fun,” Mashrafe reportedly said.
Five cricketers, including the captain himself, have joined the ODI squad of the visitors. They will try to restore the positive energy in the team, along with the players who have been playing there for the last few weeks, in a bid to face the new challenges that await them.
“We have fresh guys come and join the side for the ODI series. Hopefully they will play some good cricket and obviously, one-day cricket suits us a lot. Majority of the boys have been here for a while now. I think the combination we have is very good, hopefully we will be on our toes and deliver our best in the series,” he added.
The Tigers had last played an ODI in Guyana during the ICC Cricket World Cup back in 2007. In that match, they had pulled off a shock victory over South Africa in a Super Eight encounter. The team has come a long way since then and has made their mark as one of the well performing sides in the format.
“We last played here in 2007 so you never know when you come and play at a venue after a long time. Hopefully 260 to 280 will be a good total on the board,” said Mashrafe.
