Bangladesh has asserted that they are not fretting about mind games from Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka while the Sri Lankan skipper expressed that they feel Bangladesh is an easier opponent than Afghanistan, who procured an eight-wicket win in the competition opener.
Bangladesh has asserted that they are not fretting about mind games from Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka. Indeed, even before taking on Bangladesh in their do-or-die undertaking on September 1 in Dubai.
The Sri Lankan skipper expressed that they feel Bangladesh is an easier opponent than Afghanistan, who procured an eight-wicket win in the competition opener.
“Afghanistan has a world-class bowling attack. We know Fizz [Mustafizur Rahman] is a good bowler. Shakib [al Hasan] is a world-class bowler. But apart from them, there is no world-class bowler on the side. So if we compare with Afghanistan, Bangladesh is an easier opponent,”
Shanaka said in the post-match press conference following the defeat adding that they are well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of Bangladesh who have eight defeats from 12 games they played so far in the shortest format.
Bangladesh all-rounder Mehidy Hasan on Sunday said that their not ready to answer Shanaka with words rather they are eyeing to prove their worth in the field.
“I don’t want to comment that this team is good and this team is bad,”
Mehidy told reporters on Sunday.
”I think good and bad are proved in the field. A good team can lose if they play badly on that specific day and similarly a bad team can win if they play a good game of cricket.
”We will meet on the field and at that end of the day the good team will win the match and what I feel is that we have to prove it on the field because if we play well certainly everyone will know who is a good team and who is a bad team so instead of predicting before I think it is important to play well in the field,”
he said.
Mehidy asserted that as opposed to thoroughly considering Shanaka’s evaluation over their side right now their focus is on their current task, taking on certain-looking Afghanistan in their opening game on September 30.
”Look the first match is very important for any tournament because it will dictate how far we will go and what cricket we are going to play because it will set the tone of the team,”
he said.
”If it is a spinning wicket it will be good considering both teams have quality spinners but what I feel that is the side that will perform well with the bat will have a better chance to win the game,”
he said.
However, Bangladesh Cricket Board on August 27 appointed Afif Hossain as the vice-captain of the side in the Asia Cup.