A deserving reward

When Mahmudullah Riyad hit the biggest six of the match, a 95-metre straight hit off Adam Zampa in the 42nd over, and Mushfiqur Rahim neared his seventh ODI ton, it was easy to wonder what could have been had Australia been held to 30 runs fewer. After a 48-run loss, individual milestone and a spirited chase aside, Bangladesh were left having to win all three of their remaining matches and needing some other results to go their way to have a chance of making the World Cup semifinals.

It was a strong display from the batsmen as the top order fired and carried the Tigers to 333 for eight when skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza holed out to deep midwicket off the last ball of the match. However, it was Bangladesh’s bowling shortcomings and a superb -- if lucky -- 166 from Australian opener David Warner that made the difference as Australia first piled on 381 for six on a flat track in Trent Bridge.

While Australia take top spot with five wins and one loss, Bangladesh remain in sixth position with five points from six matches.

Bangladesh’s batting responded well to the Herculean task with Tamim Iqbal scoring his first half-century of this edition. After a mix-up saw fellow opener Soumya Sarkar being run out in the fourth over, Tamim put on a 79-run stand with Shakib Al Hasan. The plan, as Tamim later revealed, was to lose as few wickets as possible and get to 180 to 200 after 30 overs and then give it a go. However, against a well-oiled Australian attack, the Tigers lost wickets just when they were getting a hold on the match. Shakib departed for his first sub-50 score of the World Cup in the 19th over, caught off a leading edge off Marcus Stoinis. After scoring 62 off 74 balls, Tamim himself departed when he was bowled by Mitchell Starc off an inside edge, trying to dab a ball to third man in the 25th over.

Liton Das, who scored 94 in Bangladesh’s clinical win over West Indies, was trapped leg before by Zampa for 20 in the 30th over and at 175 for four, all hope seemed to be lost. But a 127-run fifth-wicket stand between Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur in just 96 balls would have made the strong Bangladesh contingent in Trent Bridge rue the untimely dismissals and, most of all, the profligate bowling in the last 10 overs. Mahmudullah hit five fours and three big sixes in a 50-ball 68 before being caught at the square leg fence off Nathan Coulter-Nile in the 46th over. Sabbir Rahman, playing his first match of the edition in place of the injured Mosaddek Hossain, departed for a golden duck next ball and Mehedi Hasan Miraz also fell cheaply, but by that time the interest surrounded whether Mushfiqur would bring up his ton.

He did complete a fine century -- marked by trademark reverse sweeps against Zampa and cuts against the Aussie quicks -- and ended unbeaten on 102 off 97 balls with nine fours and a six.

Earlier, Bangladesh’s bowling suffered from a lack of penetration in the first 30 overs, bad execution in the next 10 before a mixture of both those failings and Australia’s brilliance realised 131 runs in the last 10 overs. With his 16th century and sixth 150-plus score in ODIs, Warner made Bangladesh pay a heavy price for giving him a life early on, when he was on 10 and Sabbir Rahman dropped a difficult chance at backward point off the bowling of Mashrafe Bin Mortaza in the fifth over.

Apart from that, and a missed run out chance -- also by Sabbir -- in the 26th over when the batsman was on 72, Warner played the perfectly paced innings, concentrating on singles interspersed with the odd boundary for the first 35 overs or so, when Bangladesh’s bowling retained some discipline and adherence to plans. Warner reached his 100 off 110 balls and scored his next 66 runs in just 37 deliveries before becoming part-time bowler Soumya Sarkar’s second victim in the 45th over. The score, at the fall of the second wicket after a 192-run partnership with Usman Khawaja, was 313. Given Bangladesh’s strong reply, a win could have been possible if Australia were kept to within 350, but Glenn Maxwell played an electric cameo of 32 off 10 balls as 60 runs came off the last five overs.

The start had been disciplined enough from Bangladesh after they were asked to field first as Mashrafe and Mustafizur Rahman kept Australia to 47 without loss after nine overs, and six runs from Shakib’s first over saw them concede a respectable 53 without loss in the first five overs. However, Shakib suffered a rare off day with the ball, which meant that he could not play the vital role of keeping a lid on the scoring in conjunction with Mehedi Hasan Miraz, who bowled his 10 overs on the trot and was Bangladesh’s most economical bowler, conceding 59 runs. With little pressure being built from either end, Warner and skipper Aaron Finch built a 121-run opening stand. Against the run of play, Finch was caught at short third man in the 21st over, Soumya’s first, off a ball that bounced more than the right-hander expected. The left-handed Khawaja came in instead of Steven Smith, presumably to negate the left-arm spin of Shakib and, helped by a few long hops, they did exactly that.

Sabbir was again the culprit when he missed a chance to run Warner, then on 72, out as he failed to collect the ball at mid on while the two batsmen were undecided about going for a run.

Still, on a belter of a wicket, Bangladesh managed to stay with the Aussies for much of the innings. The run rate went past the six-per-over mark only in the 38th over, when Rubel Hossain conceded 12 runs. It was then that the carnage started, and was magnified by Maxwell before he was run out with a direct hit from Rubel at short third man. Soumya added the wicket of Khawaja, caught behind off an attempted hook for 89 in the 47th over. There was a 25-minute rain break when Australia were 368 for five after 49 overs, but it did no change anything as Mustafizur’s last over was taken for 13 after resumption.

In the lead-up to the 2019 World Cup, we take a look back on World Cups past through the eyes of Bangladesh's former World Cup stars. Akram Khan had featured for the nation's inaugural World Cup campaign in 1999 and another time after that in the 2003 edition. Akram, who is now one of the national selectors, had captained Bangladesh in 15 ODIs. In an interview with The Daily Star's Nabid Yeasin recently, he shared some of his World Cup memories and more.

The Daily Star (TDS): You played in the 1999 and 2003 World Cups for Bangladesh. How significant is it for a player to feature in a World Cup?

Akram Khan (AK): The World Cup is obviously a special event because it comes every four years. The exposure in a World Cup is more than in any series or tournament and its value is also higher. For those reasons, every player wants to play well at a World Cup. In 1999, we had to qualify by playing the ICC Trophy and only then could we play in the World Cup. So, at that time the excitement was totally different as Bangladesh, for the first time, qualified for the World Cup. Playing in your first World Cup is a different experience altogether.

TDS: What is your best World Cup memory?

AK: My best World Cup memory would be the time when we beat Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup. I scored 42 runs, but the most important thing back then was to win the game. Now, we win matches almost regularly, but back then it was not the case. Now the players get some monetary rewards or some assets as rewards for their performance, but at that time for a good performance of the team, the Bangladesh team would be rewarded. For instance, we qualified for the ICC Trophy and Bangladesh got ODI status and after beating Pakistan, Bangladesh received Test status. These things had huge value to us and everyone else as those were first-ever achievements for us.

TDS: Any memorable World Cup incident or story that you would like to share?

AK: We actually enjoyed the whole 1999 World Cup. However, in the game against Scotland which we game, there was a funny incident. Shujon [Khaled Mahmud], Pilot [Khaled Mashud] and I had taken our wives to watch the game, but unfortunately, we were all dismissed for ducks. Everyone in the team teased us after that and that was a funny thing.

TDS: Describe the challenges you have faced over the years. Previously as a player and now as a national selector.

AK: Actually, both being a player and selector have been challenging. When I was a player, I had some individual challenges and goals. Then after I became captain, I had the challenge of how to do well with the team and how to improve the team's performances. As a selector the challenge was to groom emerging players and give them an opportunity to play. I also had to provide support to the ones who were already playing. I have actually enjoyed all these challenges and I am very happy to be involved in all these good things.

TDS: What do you think will be the biggest challenge in England in the upcoming World Cup?

AK: I think the format this time will be a bit difficult for Bangladesh. This time we will have to play well and win games. Then the opportunities will come to play in the semifinal or final. The challenge will be there because we have some injury concerns in our team, but the positive thing is that we have some good players and experienced players and young players who did well on the Ireland tour. But it is a long tour and the challenge will be to get every player fit for all the matches.

TDS: Fans are hoping for Bangladesh to reach the semifinals or even the final this time. Do you think it is realistic to hope for Bangladesh to go that far?

AK: It is natural that expectations rise when the team plays well. But this is a big pressure for the players. It is necessary to perform as a team, not only as individuals. Be it in bowling, batting or in fielding, everyone needs to give their best effort and then I think we can do anything.

TDS: There will be true wickets in England and the par score is being considered around 320 or 330. How important do you think the role of the batsmen will be here?

AK: Given the format we are playing in now, 300-plus scores are normal. Previously there would only be four players in the inner circle, but now there are five players in the inner circle. So, there is always a chance to score more runs. In England, targets of 320, 325 or 330 won't be a tough ask. But 350-plus targets will be difficult to chase. The bowlers need to do well as there is a high chance that the batsmen will dominate there. However, spinners might get some purchase at the end of June or in July.

A left little finger injury that just a month ago seemed to be a minor one has now worsened to the point that ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan's participation in the 2019 ICC World Cup, set to begin on May 30 in England, is currently in jeopardy.

The latest updates from doctors after assessing his injured area is that the cricketer will not be able to undergo surgery at least for the next six months, until the infection fully subsides and has been observed to not have any traces in the bone. Further details of his current state will be known after test results arrives in the next few days.

The cricketer, who is in 72-hour observation under doctor Greg Hoy at Epworth Hospital in Melbourne, will have to stay in Australia for at least eight days.

The doctors have started administering antibiotics and injections again. Shakib is expected to return to the field after three months to test whether the infection recurs.

"Since there is no chance of doing surgery till around six months elapse, because of the infection. If that [infection] remains [when the surgery is done] then the hand will be ruined, so no one will take that chance. We have to wait till it's a hundred per cent sure that the infection is gone.

"When the medication stops after one-and-a-half to two months we have to wait for one or two months to see if the infection increases. I will also have to play to see if the infection increases. When all the tests are done and we are sure that there is no chance of the infection coming back or increasing, we can go for surgery. It may take six months or one year. Doctors are thinking six months to a year," Shakib told The Daily Star yesterday.

There is little chance of Shakib avoiding the surgery altogether, if the pain miraculously disappears after the medication ends. Even after surgery the finger will be in a fixed position with little to no movement, but it is expected to be in a state suitable to play cricket..

Shakib injured his finger in the final of the tri-nation series against Sri Lanka in January this year.

After returning from the Caribbean in August, Shakib said that he will have to undergo surgery, but Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan expressed a desire that he postpone the operation till after the Asia Cup.

Shakib return from the UAE mid-way through the Asia Cup and had to undergo immediate surgery to remove the pus from his finger in Dhaka and flew for Australia on October 5.

SHAKIB'S RACE TO THE WC IN CASE OF SURGERY

When the medication stops then we have to wait for one or two months to see if the infection increases. Doctors are thinking six months to a year. The medication will end after a month and a half to two months from now; I have to start playing a month after the medication ends to see whether the infection is still there, whether the virus has remained in the bone. If the pain goes away miraculously, there will not have to be a surgery, but chances of that are minuscule.