Batsman Mushfiqur Rahim believes that there is no need to feel tension before the forthcoming ICC World Cup as it might not be as difficult as it appears at the moment.
The conditions of Australia and New Zealand, co-host of the world’s biggest cricket tournament, appeared to be a serious concern for teams coming from other regions to participate in the tournament.
Things are more challenging for Bangladesh since they have never played in Australia’s major venues.
Their experience in Australia is limited to two bilateral series in 2003 and 2008 in Darwin and Cairns, the two fringe cities those were not selected as World Cup venues.
The characteristics wickets and seamer-friendly conditions of Australia are the two topics that are dominating the talks in country’s cricketing corridor for sometime which put some-extra pressure on the batsmen.
Mushfiq, the most successful ODI batsman for Bangladesh in 2014 with 704 runs from 18 matches including a century and six half centuries, however refused to get panicked.
‘They [wickets] won’t provide any extra-swing or advantage to seam bowling in tournaments of this stature,’ Mushfiq told reporters on Monday on the sideline of a training session at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
‘The wickets can have extra-bounce but that’s normal. I don’t think scoring runs will be extremely difficult.
‘If we can learn to play shots square of the wicket then scoring runs will be easy.
Mushfiq added that the batsmen will have to do the most in order to take the team forward and acknowledged that they are trying their best to prepare with the available resources.
‘We are preparing in the nets and through machine,’ said Mushfiq.
‘It might not turn out to be similar to the wicket of Australia and New Zealand but we are trying with our available resources,’ he said.
Mushfiq said that he is eyeing to carry on with the form of 2014 when he starts his international campaign next year with the World Cup and hoped that the team can also perform best according to their ability.
‘Everyone wants to do well in such big event and I am also focusing to take this opportunity,’ said Mushfiq.
‘The last three years went quite well for me personally, but that is a thing of past. I am hoping to continue such form further.
‘If we can do well as a team it will surely give a message to others,’ said Mushfiq.
-With New Age input
