As
the Tigers were training at the Adelaide Oval yesterday, the sound
system, out of the blue, rang out the Bangladesh's national anthem. The
routine rendition might have been a part of the rehearsal ahead of the
big match today, but to the Bangladesh players, it was a reminded of the
expectations of fans and the enormity of the task ahead.
While
skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza admitted that there was a bit of a
pressure, he however believed that they were a confident lot.
“Yes,
there is pressure and it's very normal. There are 16 crore people
looking at us. We will try to do our best so that they can all be
happy,” hoped Mashrafe.
Having beaten Afghanistan and Scotland,
Mashrafe reckons that their task is half-done. The more crucial half,
though, remains a challenge.
“We will have another chance
[against New Zealand] but I believe we have an opportunity to book a
place in the quarterfinal on Monday.
“I think everything has been
going according to our expectations. True we could have been in a much
better position had we won against Sri Lanka but the victory against
Scotland gave us much-needed confidence. And that will help against
England,” the 31-year-old added.
There has been plenty of talk
regarding England's poor run in the tournament. A defeat against
Bangladesh will eliminate them from the competition.
Mashrafe, however, wasn't ready to focus on the opponents' vulnerability.
“They
have enough experience of playing such crunch matches. So, we have to
concentrate on our ability. The simple fact is that we have a chance and
we are excited to make the most of it,” said Mashrafe.
TODAY'S MATCH
Bangladesh v England
Time: 9:30am
Venue: Adelaide
TUESDAY'S MATCH
India v Ireland
Time: 7:00am
Venue: Hamilton
Bangladesh v England
Time: 9:30am
Venue: Adelaide
TUESDAY'S MATCH
India v Ireland
Time: 7:00am
Venue: Hamilton
