Even a mad person would be upset, says Mash on fixture change

If you look back, since 2015 we have played with a rhythm. We have played three pacers regularly in the ODIs and at times we have included four pacers in the line-up. So you can't base on the Test side and decide that you have to play like that. I will stick to playing three pacers and I want to play with it, that's confirmed. 

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza

Bangladesh ODI skipper 

When Mashrafe Bin Mortaza walks out to the middle with his troops to play his 200th ODI -- an achievement indeed for a cricketer who virtually needed a miracle to make it this far following one injury after another -- at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur today, will all the fans embrace his success and his failures in the same manner as they did before?

This question may sound a bit off-putting but still many were curious about whether a bad spell from the inspirational captain or a defeat would create a negative noise from those who have criticised his venture into politics.

The man in charge however looked fully focused on signing off from his last cricketing mission this year in high spirits and the 35-year-old made it clear during the pre-match press conference yesterday that a good showing in today's first of a three-match series is important to achieve that.

There are reasons to put the home side ahead of the visitors -- their record against the Caribbean outfit, their overall ODI success this year that has seen them win 11 of 17 matches, a growing ability in the 50-over format, the rhythm the players are enjoying after their success in the Test series and, of course, the home advantage.

Despite all of these things, Mashrafe reminded of the 'muscle power' that the opponents possess, their fast bowlers' threat and their ability in shorter version games. He also stressed the need to properly read the mysterious Mirpur in the day-night contest with the dew-factor looming.

"No way can we think about a whitewash when we are yet to start the series. The first match is important. West Indies have muscle power and that is a factor. In this kind of format one or two [players] can change the game and they have some players who can destroy you. We have to be careful of that. The shorter format always suits them," Mashrafe said in an attempt to dilute any over-enthusiasm over a 3-0 whitewash, such as the one the Tigers enjoyed in their last meeting in July-August in the West Indies.

It is always good to keep the hype in control and Mashrafe did that as usual, but many will still believe that the Tigers will be favourites in this series if they can follow their captain's words: "the homework and its hundred percent execution must be in place, then a repeat of an away series success is not a high demand from them."

And, as Mashrafe said, the availability of two stalwarts -- Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal -- came as a relief to the team.

"It is huge advantage that both Shakib and Tamim are in the team. Returning from injuries, Shakib adjusted after the Test series but Tamim may take time despite his extraordinary innings in the practice match. Tamim may get better or worse as everyone needs time when returning from injury," Mashrafe said.

The skipper also gave some indication over his line-up, confirming the presence of three pacers, and when everyone was guessing who would partner Tamim to open the innings from among the three other in-form openers, he hinted that they would all be fielded in different positions.

With everything seemingly in his favour, Mashrafe is now looking to the mantra: 'All's well that ends well.'

The FIFA World Cup fever is raging as fans across Bangladesh are glued to their TV sets desperate to stay updated on the ins and outs of their favourite teams. 

That fever has also drummed up the World Cup spirit in former Bangladesh cricket team captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, who is an avid Argentina fan and predicts that Argentina skipper Lionel Messi would score seven goals and take away both the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot this time around.

Interestingly, Mashrafe's allegiance is completely opposite to his family members, who root for the five-time champions Brazil.

It is, however, a very common scenario in a lot of Bangladeshi households to see family members divided by their choice of teams during the time of World Cup.

Mashrafe's Argentina convictions sparked when he saw the magnificent Diego Maradona enchant fans around the world with his magical touch in the 1990 World Cup.

The charismatic former Bangladesh skipper, however, admitted that he didn't know much about football back then.

"I was only eight when I saw the 1990 World Cup. I couldn't have known much about football," the Narail Express told The Daily Star, adding, "I used to follow the ones who could dribble well. And Maradona used to dribble past all the players and go through on goal."

Mashrafe was mesmerised, and that embedded an unconditional love for Argentina despite the fact that all his family members have been fans of the Albiceleste's archrivals Brazil.

"My father and my uncles always rooted for Brazil and told me tales of the Brazil team but only I liked Maradona and am the lone Argentina fan in my family," the 39-year -old said.

Argentina last won the World Cup in 1986 amid the most controversial of events centering Maradona. The forward, in a Houdini act, managed to disguise his punch that guided the ball to the back of the net against England in the quarterfinal, an incident which only English goalkeeper Peter Shilton protested. But despite the foul play, it brought Argentina their second World Cup trophy.

The Albiceleste were runners-up in the 1990 World Cup and got very close to winning it again in 2014. In the final of that edition eight years ago, the Argentines, including Lionel Messi, missed a number of chances that saw their glorious opportunity of bringing the trophy home slip away to Germany.

An ardent Maradona fan, Mashrafe admitted that he has a lot of admiration for Messi; perhaps not as much as Maradona but he banks on Messi's magic if Argentina are to go all the way this time around.

But the former Bangladesh captain still carries regrets about that 2014 final.

"What did Messi do on that day?!" he commented on Messi's left-footed miss in the 47th minute. "Who misses that kind of opportunity? He finishes that chance nine times out of ten in any other match but he just had to miss that chance on that day," Mashrafe added.
 
Unsurprisingly, Mashrafe has tipped the Messi-led Argentina to lift the World Cup in a prediction segment in The Daily Star.

He asserted that Messi, despite all his achievements, would have to win the World Cup to match the feats of Maradona and Brazil's Pele.

"Messi has won everything but he must win a World Cup which is something Pele and Maradona have done.. I think Messi will score seven goals this time and will also be the best player of the tournament," Mashrafe said before making the bold prediction about Messi. 

There has been a lot of debate on social media and elsewhere regarding Liton Das's stumping by Mahendra Singh Dhoni in Friday's Asia Cup final. The decision was very close, as multiple angles of the sequence showed, before the third umpire finally ruled in favour of India. Here is what Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza had to say about this: "It is hard to tell. At one point we felt it was not out. I think the third umpire can say it better. Maybe it will be discussed later."