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

Bangladesh ODI captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza yesterday collected a nomination form from the Awami League to contest the upcoming general election from his home district of Narail.

Mashrafe, arguably the most popular cricketer in the country, bought the form for Narail-2, a constituency where Sheikh Hafizur Rahman, district president of Workers Party of Bangladesh, is the current lawmaker.

Before collecting the form, Mashrafe sought blessings from Prime Minister and AL's President Sheikh Hasina.

He went to the Gono Bhaban around 11:30am, an official of the PM's press wing told The Daily Star.

Coming out of the PM's residence, Mashrafe went to the AL president's Dhanmondi office around 1:30pm and received the form from party General Secretary Obaidul Quader.

Later, Quader told reporters that although Mashrafe was involved in politics, it would not impact his cricket career. 

On Saturday, an official of Quader's road transport and bridges ministry said national team cricketers -- Mashrafe and Shakib Al Hasan -- would buy AL nomination forms today to take part in the upcoming general election from Narail and Magura respectively.

Later, Shakib, skipper of Bangladesh Test and T20, backtracked on his decision.

Quader yesterday told reporters that Hasina advised Shakib not to participate in the upcoming parliamentary election and give full attention to cricket.

She asked Shakib to pay more attention to cricket as the World Cup would be held next year, Quader quoted Hasina as saying.

Bangladesh ODI captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza collects a nomination form from Awami League’s Dhanmondi office on Sunday, November 11, 2018 to contest the upcoming 11th parliamentary election with Awami League ticket from Narail-2 constituency. Photo: Collected

It would not be an injustice in any way if the Cricket Gods allow Mashrafe Bin Mortaza to lift the Asia Cup trophy with his firm hands at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium today to bring smiles on the faces of the millions of cricket-crazy people in our country.

However, the question is how realistic that dream is. India will go into the final today tagged as 'overwhelming favourites' after enjoying an unbeaten run in the tournament while the Tigers endured a bumpy ride.

Although India are favourites in today's final, Bangladesh can draw on the inspiration provided by the lion-hearted Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and their (bellow) raucous support in Dubai to perhaps seal what would be their most famous success. PHOTO: AFP FILE

While it is true that Bangladesh have overcome many odds to reach the final, many will say: "It's India man! And don't forget there is no Shakib Al Hasan or Tamim Iqbal."

However, a Midas touch from one man can change all the equations and realistic views.

He has given proof of that many times in his fairytale career and he did it again in this tournament too with a traditionally charismatic approach.

When Bangladesh left the country, they had high hopes of achieving glory. Things took a turn and there was plenty of drama in the opener against Sri Lanka, all of which was eventually overshadowed by Tamim Iqbal's unbelievable courage. However, the man who motivated the left-hander was none other than his inspirational skipper.

Tamim's loss had a huge impact as the two new openers failed to find their feet and two defeats to Afghanistan and India made things difficult for the captain, who was tasked with putting the pieces back together and reigniting their hopes. Then the controversial decision to include openers Imrul Kayes and Soumya Sarkar apparently unsettled the team but hope never faded as that colossal man was at the helm.

He stuck to two young openers despite their failures and the hard-fought victory against Afghanistan in the Super Four promised something good was coming to the team.

Alas! The Cricket Gods threw another monumental challenge at the man as Shakib Al Hasan was ruled out ahead of the do-or-die match against Pakistan.

The rest is history.

Mashrafe's stunning catch to dismiss dangerman Shoaib Malik might be publicised most but the way he charged up his men and marshalled the fielding, apart from a good bowling effort, only provided more proof why this man is special.

So, do not only consider logistics when this inspirational man is around. If anyone deserves this prestigious trophy, it is Mashrafe, even more so at the fag end of his career.

Bangladesh ended their last ODI in 2018 in perfect fashion, winning the third game and the series against West Indies by a comprehensive eight-wicket margin and making Mashrafe Bin Mortaza's Bangladesh-record 70th match as captain an auspicious one yesterday.

The picturesque Sylhet International Stadium's inaugural ODI also produced a performance that would raise hopes of Bangladesh's shaky top order finally taking shape in the run-up to next summer's World Cup in England.

The Tigers' chase of a sub-par 199 -- set up by Mehedi Hasan Miraz's career-best figures of four for 29 -- on a good batting wicket was powered by a 131-run second-wicket stand between star opener Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar, promoted to number three in place of the dropped Imrul Kayes.

While Tamim scoring 81 off 104 is nothing surprising, Soumya's continuation of the good form he displayed with a ton in the third ODI against Zimbabwe in October is a promising sign that there may finally be some consistency to match Tamim's.

Soumya hit five sixes and as many fours in a blistering 81-ball 80 before being bowled by Keemo Paul with the score on 176 in the 36th over. Mushfiqur Rahim then came in and kept Tamim company as the left-hander hit a brace of boundaries to take Bangladesh home with 69 balls to spare.

It sealed a series by a 2-1 margin during which West Indies were generally outclassed by the hosts. The only exception to that was Shai Hope, who hit a match-winning century in the second game and hit another unbeaten ton, 108 off 131 balls, yesterday.

Liton Das and Tamim got the chase off to a rapid start as the dusktime dew started quickening up the wicket. Liton was batting fluently and hit five boundaries in the first 10 overs, but got himself out trying to hit a sixth one over the head of mid on against Keemo Paul and being caught for 23 in the first ball of the 11th over, ending a 45-run opening stand.

West Indies' chances took a major hit at the end of that over as pacer Kemar Roach limped off, clutching at his hamstring, and did not return for the rest of the match and has been ruled out of the following T20I series starting on December 17.

There was at least one boundary every over from the 13th till the 18th, off which Tamim hit a four and Soumya a six off leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo.

While Soumya took the odd risk, Tamim exemplified responsible batting. He hit five boundaries along the ground before his first lofted shot in the 24th over when he swept Bishoo for a four over short fine leg. That shot also brought up his 43rd ODI fifty off 62 deliveries. Soumya reached his seventh half-century with a single, also off his 62nd delivery, in the 30th over.

He then went on a rampage, hitting three sixes and two fours and racing past Tamim.

Earlier, West Indies' innings was the latest example of their lack of ability to bat in these conditions, with the obvious and shining exception of Hope. The opener has now batted for 99.4 overs across the last two matches without offering a single chance to the Bangladesh bowlers.

It was the off-spin of Mehedi that broke West Indian's backs. Mehedi started by dispatching opener Chanderpaul Hemraj, who was caught at backward point in the fourth over. Hope was batting untroubled at the other end.

It was all up to Hope, who attempted to wage another lone battle. He focused on getting the total as near 200 as possible. Keemo Paul and Kemar Roach -- both dismissed by Mashrafe in the 44th and 46th overs respectively -- kept Hope company as the batsman reached his fourth ODI hundred with a six off Shakib off his 121st delivery.

With arguably the two most important cricketers in Bangladesh – Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal – ruled out by the time they faced Pakistan in a do-or-die Asia Cup game on Wednesday, Bangladesh drew on wartime philosophy to emerge victorious against the odds.

"[Skipper] Mashrafe [Bin Mortaza] bhai told us one thing and we talked about one thing: when at war, you don't look back," said player-of-the-match Mushfiqur Rahim after the 37-run win over the two-time champions at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. "So if you think 'I am going to war and I will try to play it safe', that won't work. 

"Either kill or be killed -- one or the other. So that was a huge inspiration, because when you are at war you don't look at who your captain is, who's there or not there."

Mushfiqur was at the centre of the conflict, rescuing the side from the precarious position of 12 for three after Bangladesh won the toss and lifting them to 239 all out with a magnificent 99, becoming the first Bangladesh batsman to be out one short of a century in international cricket.

Bangladesh's highest run-scorer Tamim had already gone back to Dhaka on September 18 with a left-hand fracture sustained in the tournament's opening game against Sri Lanka. Shakib, meanwhile, was ruled out of the match because of a flare-up of a lingering finger injury picked up in January this year. He was subsequently sent home and will undergo surgery in either Melbourne or New York in the near future. 

But the calamitous setbacks only brought out the warriors in the Tigers.  

"You have to fight 100 per cent with what you have. So we thought that if we give our 100 per cent without thinking about the result, then, God willing, we will win as the best team. There will come a time when I won't be there -- no one is there forever. The five of us [seniors Mashrafe, Shakib, Tamim, Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah Riyad] will not be there at one point but even then you have to go on. So this was the talk and everyone was pumped up from there." 

Bangladesh ODI skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Tamim Iqbal were the last two members of the squad to reach the Scenic Hotel in Napier to join the team after a car journey of over six hours from Auckland yesterday.

It was the fear of flying in a small aircraft that compelled Tamim and Mashrafe to take the scenic route southeast from Auckland, where they reached Sunday and made the drive the following day.

The size of the aircraft did not much bother two other members of the side, Rubel Hossain and Mohammad Saifuddin, who reached Christchurch yesterday and changed flights in Wellington before finally arriving in Napier.

The city on New Zealand's eastern coast is currently preparing for the famous annual Art Deco Festival, to be held from February 13 to 17, which has its roots in a massive 7.9 Richter scale earthquake that destroyed most of the commercial heart of Napier on February 3, 1931.

The city was rebuilt in 1930s fashion and by the end of the decade Napier was the newest city carrying, and the Art Deco is held to celebrate the courage the city displayed during those hard times.

It is undoubtedly the best time for the city to host the first match of the three-match ODI series between New Zealand and Bangladesh, but for journalists travelling from Bangladesh it was a hassle to find accommodation, which at the moment is quite expensive.

Back at the Scenic Hotel, where the cricketers spent a rest day yesterday ahead of the first game tomorrow at McLean Park, Mahmudullah Riyad was roaming around the hotel lobby and was the first to welcome Mashrafe and Tamim when they reached yesterday afternoon.

In just a couple of hours, Mashrafe was outside the hotel again to meet his 2003 World Cup teammate, former Bangladesh opener Al Shahriar Rokon, who has been living in Napier for the past few years.

Famous for his love of 'adda' (chatting), Mashrafe immediately engaged Rokon and a few other expatriates in a lively conversation, answering queries from fans who eager to know about his experience of joining politics, Tigers' chances of winning their first ever international game against New Zealand in their own backyard, and many other topics.

When this journalist asked Mahmudullah about the unorthodox bowling action that he employed during warm-up match against New Zealand XI on Sunday, he said with a big smile: "Actually, I try that bowling action jokingly in the nets but that day a few of my teammates asked me to bowl with that action just once in the practice game, and I did it."

Tamim soon joined in the adda and shared his fear of flying in small aircrafts and to make him more uncomfortable, this journalist reminded him that the team would have to change flights in Wellington, which is notoriously windy, for the second ODI in Christchurch.

"I am not going to change flights. that too in Wellington. I would much rather make the journey by road or take a direct flight," Tamim said.

By then Sabbir Rahman, Liton Das, Mominul Haque, Soumya Sarkar and Shadman Islam returned to the hotel after dinner at a nearby Turkish restaurant in a relaxed mood.

Missing out, of course, was Shakib Al Hasan who was injured just before the crucial tour of New Zealand. It was a big blow for Bangladesh but with the full squad now in New Zealand, and heart of the team in Mashrafe present, the Tigers seems relaxed and confident of taking on the hosts as the preparation for the upcoming ICC World Cup in England truly gets underway.