Ahead of their fourth match in the Super 12s stage of the T20 World Cup, Bangladesh’s head coach Russell Domingo said the players are “determined” to give their best to win the match.
Bangladesh lost three matches on the trot in the Super 12s, and they have no real chance to advance to the next phase of the World Cup. But the Tigers are eager to end the World Cup by winning the next two matches.
“Morale has been pretty low after the two narrow losses against Sri Lanka and West Indies. Our chance is probably over in this World Cup, but we have a lot to play for tomorrow. The guys are determined to put in good performances,” Domingo told a pre-match press conference on Monday.
South Africa traditionally struggle against spin. Domingo hinted that the Tigers will rely on their spin department more to beat South Africa on Tuesday.
“Having worked in South Africa for a long time myself, we know there’s always a question mark in the way they play spin. Hopefully, the conditions will help us tomorrow. There are certain areas we will look to exploit when we play against them. We have had some good discussions this morning,” the Bangladesh coach added.
Bangladesh have lost Mohammad Saifuddin to a back injury. The allrounder will not take part in this World Cup anymore. Now, Shakib Al Hasan has also been ruled out of the World Cup. Domingo said it came as a big blow for the team as Shakib adds experience and calmness to the team.
Because of Shakib’s absence Bangladesh will have to make changes in the playing XI. Shamim Hossain might get a chance on Tuesday.
Nurul Hasan Sohan, the wicketkeeper-batter, might also be unavailable for the next match. He suffered a blow before the England match and was side-lined when the Tigers took on West Indies.
Bangladesh missed at least 10 catches in the World Cup so far. Domingo believes this mistake is happening due to the experience guys who are playing at the bigger stage of the game for the first time.
“If you look at the age group in our side, I think we have come into the World Cup with the youngest average age for the players. Guys like Naim, Afif, Shoriful and Mahedi are young players. In big events like this, some players will make mistakes. As long as they are gaining experience from these mistakes, it will put us in good stead going forward,” Domingo further told the media.
Bangladesh’s early exit, though it’s not official yet, sparked anger among the fans at home. Social media is inundated with the trolls of the Bangladesh team which is also affecting the mentality of the players. Former Bangladesh captain, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, urged the board to impose an embargo so that the players stay away from social media during big events like World Cup.
Many of the trolls are floating around social media targeting Bangladesh’s head coach Domingo, who said he is not a big fan of social media.
“Fortunately I am not on social media. I don’t read too much of it. Most of my social media used to be when I was involved in fishing. Not so much cricket,” Domingo added.
Source: United News of Bangladesh