Bangladesh will face Australia in their final pool game in the ongoing World Cup on Saturday in Pune. While Australia have already made the semifinal of the tournament, Bangladesh became the first team to crash out.
Although the match bears no importance in the context of the tournament, it’s a key contest for the Tigers because whether they qualify for the Champions Trophy or not depends on the result of this match (and a few others as well).
Selector Habibul Bashar, who is travelling with the team, is already thinking about the next World Cup which will be held in Africa. He is disappointed with Bangladesh’s performance in the ongoing tournament but believes the wind of change in domestic cricket will enable them to make a group of players ready for the next tournament in a couple of years.
“We did not live up to the expectations,” Bashar told reporters at the team hotel. “But it happens. You might be in form and suddenly lose it in a tournament. Unfortunately, it has happened with us.”
Bashar reckons Bangladesh need to work more on the mental aspect of the game.
“Ahead of global tournaments, we need to work on our mental skills. Our [cricketing] skills are intact. Every team comes into tournaments like this with a lot of preparation. We were no different. From now on, we have to work on our mental strength before coming into such tournaments,” he said.
Experts in and outside Bangladesh have suggested multiple times that they should play on batting-friendly surfaces instead of slow, low wickets back home. Bashar said that changes are taking place gradually.
“Surely our domestic cricket has seen a lot of improvement. There used to be a lot of talk about the wickets. But they have become more sporting in the last couple of years. The pitches in Premier League and first-class are very good now. The next World Cup is four years out, so I think the team will be ready in one-two years,” he concluded.
