	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY

June 8, 2017

Mashrafe Mortaza

Cardiff Wales Stadium, Cardiff

Q. Are you picking from a full squad?
MASHRAFE MORTAZA: This match?

Q. Yeah, everybody.
MASHRAFE MORTAZA: Yeah, everyone is fit enough to play tomorrow's match.

Q. What's the mindset like going into this game? You've won a lot of important one-day games over the last few years to get up to No. 6. Where does this rank in important games and how are you mentally ahead of it?
MASHRAFE MORTAZA: Look, the way we are playing the last two, three years, there's a lot of matches we won and also a few matches we should have won; we couldn't. But it's still our focus to win every match and we play at our best.

So obviously tomorrow's match we will try our level best. We knew if we can create chances, obviously we have to grab it, and play hard.

Q. Have you had a chance to look at the pitch yet before you came up here? It's been under cover all morning.
MASHRAFE MORTAZA: That's why I'm a bit late to you guys. We just had a look because any time rains can come, so we just had a look. Sorry for that.

Yes, we had a look at the grass, but it looks like they are cutting it again. We don't know. We have to find out tomorrow morning and see what happens, and hopefully there is no rain tomorrow.

Q. How could you expect that to perfect your team combination? You obviously went with eight batsmen in the first game and only seven in the last one. Have you thought about that some more, and how do you think you might go?
MASHRAFE MORTAZA: Look, tomorrow's match, I just can't say that. Yes, we have to think positive for sure. For that, if we need to pick five -- normally play with five bowlers all the time. Yes, first match, we are thinking because maybe India practice match, we got out 84, so we had to think a lot of things.

But we can't just go on the negative way. We have to think positive, and obviously we have to make our combination. We have to score, as well as we have to get them all out. So we have to think positive.

Q. You, unusually, ahead of a tournament like this, you had a chance to play New Zealand in Ireland, I know it was a slightly different New Zealand team but you won that. What do you make of New Zealand heading into this game? How do you think your recent experience will help?
MASHRAFE MORTAZA: Yes, it could. But the wicket we played in Ireland, it was totally different actually. It was raining in here, as well, but it still looks like a good wicket. But in Ireland, it was a bit seaming and different. And also, there are a few guys, who didn't play in Ireland.

Hopefully, still, we got a win in one match, and the first match we're playing against New Zealand, we couldn't defend 260, but it was a good match. Hopefully this time, we'll do something else if we get a chance.

Q. Can I just ask you quickly, Kane Williamson is in fantastic form. How do you approach bowling to someone like him?
MASHRAFE MORTAZA: The approach has to be -- definitely bowlers have a plan with the coaching staff. So we have to stick on it, and the form he's going, it was unbelievable.

And also if you look on our side, I think Tamim is in great form. Doesn't mean that Tamim will come in to score tomorrow, as well. So you never know what's going on.

But yes, he is in great form but we cannot focus only in on Williamson. They have some players like Guptill who can change the game. So we have to think all of their batters as a bowling group, and obviously our batters have to think about their batting group.

Q. You mentioned Tamim there and his form. Are you confident that you have the firepower with the bat in the middle order to build on those starts? In the England game you struggled to maybe finish the inning strongly, and against Australia, middle order struggled a little bit. Are you confident you have the batting power in that middle order?
MASHRAFE MORTAZA: If you look at our middle order, top order, in that sort of condition, it is always difficult because early ball can move. But the way Tamim batted, it was brilliant. If you look at our batting order, there is Mushfiqur who scored against England, he batted really well. Shakib, very good start against Australia but unfortunately got out which we didn't expect.

And yes, we have Mahmudullah, who is in great form in New Zealand as well as in Ireland. He had two 50s and good 30s, 40s. So I think yes, we have that but obviously England matches, we couldn't through, like 30, 40 short. After 42 overs, we couldn't score in as much as we want to, but hopefully this time will make up. I know if we need it, we will do something.

With that bowling group we played last six months, I think we played five matches against New Zealand. So I hope that was at least new, their plans, and what they used to do. So I hope that they will use of it.

Reviewed by Raj

Checked by Wisden

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297