Back at Sophia, Tigers seek to keep winning

The Bangladesh squad’s World Cup campaign will get underway today with their first warm-up game against Pakistan at the Swalec Stadium in Cardiff, which will always be Sophia Gardens to Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Co as it was so called when they sensationally beat the mighty Australians at the venue in 2005.

The match will get underway at 3:30 pm Bangladesh time and it is one in which Bangladesh, who will have the option of trying all 15 members with 11 allowed to bat, should start as favourites as they have beaten Pakistan in each of their last four encounters since the 2015 World Cup -- a 3-0 whitewash in Bangladesh in 2015 and a hard-fought Asia Cup win in September 2018. Pakistan have not had the best time of late, losing the recent ODI series against England 4-0 and also their first warm-up against Af-ghanistan on Friday.

Nestled in 44 acres of wooded parkland called Sophia Gardens, with the River Taff weaving through, the Swalec Stadium holds tremendous memories for Bangladesh who, having won their 2017 Champi-ons Trophy encounter against New Zealand, have a hundred per cent record at the picturesque and serene venue. Inspirational skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza was the only participant in both matches spaced 12 years apart and, ahead of his last World Cup campaign, will be eager to get his troops to start putting their best foot forward today and in their second warm-up against India day after tomorrow.

Mashrafe is an avid believer in starting on the right note, perhaps because he knows how important momentum is for his side. Having netted their first ODI multi-team trophy through an unbeaten triumph in the Ireland tri-series earlier this month, the skipper will be keen to see to it that there is no break in the winning habit. Therefore, it is likely that the team management are looking at the fixture as much more than a practice game, and there could hardly be a more fitting venue for Bangladesh to seek to maintain a winning record.

“Obviously, we feel happy when we see this ground because we have a very good record here,” young off-spinner Mehedi Hasan Miraz, who was not part of the team that beat New Zealand and se-cured their maiden Champions Trophy semifinal, said during practice at the venue yesterday.  “We de-feated Australia at this very ground in 2005, and in the Champions Trophy we beat New Zealand here too. We feel good and confident when we see this ground. Even so, everyone will have to play well and work hard, and win the match playing good cricket.”

Apart from maintaining winning momentum, the two practice matches will be very important for Bang-ladesh to settle on a playing eleven ahead of their World Cup opener against South Africa on June 2. Even fringe players like Liton Das, Mosaddek Hossain and Abu Jayed excelled whenever required in Ireland, leading to Mashrafe saying on Thursday that it is hard to see how they could be better pre-pared for the World Cup.

The two warm-ups will be especially important for Soumya Sarkar and Liton Das -- one of whom will be chosen to open the batting with star opener Tamim Iqbal -- as well as for the likes of Rubel Hossain, Jayed and Mohammad Saifuddin, one of whom are expected to make up the bowling attack alongside Mashrafe, Mustafizur Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan and Mehedi.