Bangladesh skipper Mashrafee bin Murtaza said on Sunday that their seven-wicket win over South Africa in the second one-day international was ‘pleasing’ as it helped them get their confidence back after few defeats. Bangladesh were desperately looking for a win to level the series, after the Proteas thrashed them in the preceding two Twenty20 internationals and first one-dayer with ease.
‘I think it’s a sign of a good team because it indicates we are getting matured as a team,’ Mashrafee said after the win with more than 22 overs in hand. ‘When you are winning its one thing, and when the team is losing its another. I wanted to see how the team responds in such difficult situation.’
‘The win proved we are mentally strong enough as a team and that is why it is pleasing.’
The win all but confirmed Bangladesh’s berth in the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, but Mashrafee said it hardly meant anything to the team. The skipper rather blamed the hype over the Champions Trophy qualifications for putting the team under extra pressure.
‘I think it’s too much,’ said Mashrafee about the Champions Trophy. ‘We had the destination in our hand. If it is written in our fate we will obviously qualify.’
‘There was no talk of Champions Trophy qualification eight months ago when we started our season. It’s only the last two months that people are talking about it and I don’t find any reason for that,’ he said.
-With New Age input
