'I believe they can'
Roquibul Hasan needs no description as he is a very renowned figure in Bangladesh's cricket. The former national captain has a vast knowledge regarding the game and closely monitors the country's cricket.
Talking about Bangladesh's World Cup journey, the former batsman expressed his hope regarding the Tigers' chances in the mega event with some caution and provided a very simple recipe for his beloved team's success: "be positive".
"For success in Australia everybody has to be positive and should play attacking cricket. They have to be positive in their attitude and approach," stated Roquibul, adding that Mashrafe Bin Mortaza's team has the ability to fulfil the expectations of reaching the quarterfinals.
To him the three weeks conditioning camp in Brisbane and four practice matches will be important for the team in terms of preparing themselves for the big show and their opening match against Afghanistan on February 18 will set the tone for how far they will go.
"Our expectation will come through if we can play to our potential. I am however concerned with the batting and that's why I believe the three-week camp and practice matches are important, and the players have to capitalise on it. They especially need to concentrate on playing square of the wicket and be in tune with the back foot effort," suggested Roquibul.
"True it could have been better if the national team or even 'A' team played some matches in Australia well before the tournament like the other teams, but still the team went to Australia with a lot of confidence. 2014 was not a good year for Bangladesh cricket but don't forget that we lost some close matches against big opponents. And though the eventual win came against a lowly opponents, the 8-0 win gave the team enough confidence," analysed Roquibul.
"Australia is my favourite team in the tournament and there are teams like New Zealand, England and South Africa. We have tough opponents in our group and it would not be an easy task to make it through to the second round. But don't forget that it's an ODI competition and the Tigers proved previously that they are capable of turning the tables on their day," he said, adding that the subcontinental teams had little hopes of lifting the trophy this time, though he praised defending champions India's batting line-up.
Besides two Associate members Afghanistan and Scotland, Roquibul sees bright chances against struggling Sri Lanka and he thinks it will be the biggest achievement for Tigers if they can make it to the quarterfinals. But he will also not be surprised if Mashrafe's brigade progresses even farther.
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