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ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP

June 16, 2019

Mashafre Mortaza

Taunton, England, UK

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, we'll take questions for Mashrafe Mortaza.

Q. You've got three points. West Indies have got three points. This is a huge game not just to get the extra points to go towards the semifinal but to stop one of the other semifinalists to getting ahead. Is that the way you're thinking about it, almost a knockout game?
MASHRAFE MORTAZA: Actually both teams got the same point. But I think it's time to think about ourselves only. If you understand this tournament obviously a few matches left but tomorrow's a very important match for us, especially losing I would say elsewhere, but I would say especially losing few points in the last three matches. So hopefully we'll play well tomorrow.

Q. Obviously there's going to be a lot of talk about West Indies fast bowling against Bangladesh, but also they've shown a lot of trouble, they've been troubled by offspin, when they were playing Bangladesh, Mehedi has bowled well, (indiscernible). That is one factor that you're looking at, even though you're playing in a small ground?
MASHRAFE MORTAZA: Yeah, obviously, we've been quite successful against them with some offspinners. So we have to think about it as well. And if you look at recently, I think, Mehedi bowled really well against them. And also he's bowling so well in this World Cup as well, even the right-handed.

So obviously the top five West Indies are left handers, which Mehedi bowled against them really well. So it's a positive sign. And the same thing I'll say that it's a small ground, too, so we have to think about it as well. So one side we will be very stronger. So West Indies has so much power to do it.

But, again, I'd say we don't think about this ground. A small ground is also good for us. So I think it will go equally. We will play I think we have to play well.

Q. As you've said, you match up very well against West Indies. Do you think that's part of the reason you've had such a good recent record against them is the matchups with your bowling? Or have you just been in very good form when you've played them in the past?
MASHRAFE MORTAZA: No, I think the bowlers come hard. And the kind of cricket they played, there's always still positives and play shorts into the middle, which is good, which can be bad, both ways. So we take it positively that, as we said, the matchup, I think our bowling has been fantastic against them last two, three series we played against them. So I think we have to take this positive stuff and the ground and do our best.

Q. What is the condition of Mushfiqur Rahim? Is he free to play tomorrow? And another question is how good chance is to take hard-paced bowlers tomorrow, and at the same time if you want to keep your all-spin bowling option available, is there any chance, if you drop one batsman just to add extra pace bowlers?
MASHRAFE MORTAZA: Firstly, I think we haven't decided yet. But Mushfiq is totally fine, I think. He had X-ray and MRI scan. He didn't have any issues at all at the moment. I'm not sure the final call will come from him in the future. But I think he looks fine.

And you said our bowling -- losing batsmen also not a good option with their (indiscernible) bowling, I think. We have to think about it as well because, as you said, that they'll come harder with their bowling. If we lose all the wickets, this can be a problem for the team.

But again, we have to back off of whatever the decisions management got, we've got to back ourselves. But as we've been succeeding against them, I think we have to rethink about it. And whatever the ground, whatever the wicket, we have to back our own strength. That's what I feel.

Q. We're approaching the midway point in the group stage. Just give us your assessments on how you think Bangladesh has played as a whole, what more they'll need to do to qualify for the semifinals?
MASHRAFE MORTAZA: Still have five matches left. So you never know. So you don't have to think all those five matches. Tomorrow's match is very important. We have to take one by one.

And if you reassess the previous things, I think we lost against New Zealand, that might cost a little bit. But again we have still five matches left, as I said, that if we can take one by one at a time, and if we really perform well, which is in the World Cup, you have to do it. You can't just always think this match can win. And if you can't win the next many you'll get down yourself.

So (indiscernible) we got in the World Cup, so you have to perform all those matches and you have to think positive all those matches.

So as I said, yes, it's been ups and downs. But still a lot of matches left. We can make the difference. And we have to believe in it, which I believe that my team is believing.

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