DHAKA, May 17, 2019 (BSS) – Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza showed his gratitude towards the country’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to motivate them always when the people kept them in relentless pressure, which sometimes
goes beyond the limitation.
The captain said the Prime Minister congratulated them to move into the
final of the tri-series in which they will face off West Indies today to win
a trophy that eluded them six times earlier. At the same time, she advised
them to play without any pressure.
“Honourable prime minister has congratulated us. She told us to play
without any tension,” Mashrafe told the reporters in Dublin on Thursday.
“There is pressure of being champion. She always talks to us, congratulate
us but never imposed pressure on us that we have to be champions,” he added.
“Wherever I go, everyone tells me to win trophy. But our Prime Minister is
the only one who never said anything like this,” he said.
“Before the Asia Cup final in last year she told us that, listen people
don’t know much about the game, me also. But I know one thing that to play
the final is a big achievement. It’s not like that you must win, I am always
happy if you only try. When your Prime Minister thinks like this, it gives a
lot of inspiration,” Mashrafe remarked.
Having failed to win the final on last six occasions, Bangladesh earned the
tag of choker but they are determined to turn the things around this time. In
the ongoing tri-series that also involved hosts Ireland, Bangladesh remains
unbeaten so far having won three matches with quite ease. Their other match
against Ireland in double-league tournament was washed out without a ball
being bowled due to heavy rain.
Bangladesh played their first final in 2009 against Sri Lanka in a tri
nation series at home. Bangladesh lost the match by two wickets. Thereafter
their second heartbreak was against Pakistan in the 2012 Asia Cup when they
were beaten by two runs.
Four years later Bangladesh lost to India in Asia Cup Twenty20 final while
in 2018 they lost final on three occasions.