‘Other teams are playing better’

It was not all doom and gloom for Bangladesh as their 48-run loss to Australia pushed them to the precipice of elimination from the World Cup. The batting, compiling its second 300-plus score on the trot, has been in good touch and opener Tamim Iqbal, who scored his first half-century of the 2019 World Cup, thought that it was a good sign.

While chasing down 322 against West Indies in their last match with 8.3 overs to spare was a high-water mark for Bangladesh batting, scoring 333 for eight against an attack of Australia's quality should give the Tigers a fillip for their remaining three matches.

"A positive sign is that we made 320-plus in our last two matches, and both were during chases," Tamim told reporters after the match. "The batsmen believe that we can chase around 320-330. It's a good thing that we started to believe this."

A reason for Tamim being positive was that, as he said, Bangladesh did not really do too much wrong for much of the match. It was a spell of bowling near the end of the Australian innings, when the Tigers conceded 131 runs in the last 10 overs, that cost them.

"I think we lost the game in a spell of three or four overs. We actually bowled well in the last three overs."

Tamim, who had a rough start to the World Cup -- getting out after getting set -- was a bit more satisfied with his 62 off 74 deliveries yesterday. He was out bowled off the inside edge trying to run Mitchell Starc down to third man.

"I normally play this shot through third man quite well but it wasn't my day. I think I am hitting it well, but it is a matter of time until I get a big one. But the problem is, we don't have much time."

Bangladesh have to win all three of their remaining matches to have a chance of making it to the semifinals.

"I think we still have a chance. I don't think any of my teammates are thinking along those lines [a fifth-place finish]. We have a chance if we win three matches. If God forbid we don't have anything to play for, then we will think about No 5."

A left little finger injury that just a month ago seemed to be a minor one has now worsened to the point that ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan's participation in the 2019 ICC World Cup, set to begin on May 30 in England, is currently in jeopardy.

The latest updates from doctors after assessing his injured area is that the cricketer will not be able to undergo surgery at least for the next six months, until the infection fully subsides and has been observed to not have any traces in the bone. Further details of his current state will be known after test results arrives in the next few days.

The cricketer, who is in 72-hour observation under doctor Greg Hoy at Epworth Hospital in Melbourne, will have to stay in Australia for at least eight days.

The doctors have started administering antibiotics and injections again. Shakib is expected to return to the field after three months to test whether the infection recurs.

"Since there is no chance of doing surgery till around six months elapse, because of the infection. If that [infection] remains [when the surgery is done] then the hand will be ruined, so no one will take that chance. We have to wait till it's a hundred per cent sure that the infection is gone.

"When the medication stops after one-and-a-half to two months we have to wait for one or two months to see if the infection increases. I will also have to play to see if the infection increases. When all the tests are done and we are sure that there is no chance of the infection coming back or increasing, we can go for surgery. It may take six months or one year. Doctors are thinking six months to a year," Shakib told The Daily Star yesterday.

There is little chance of Shakib avoiding the surgery altogether, if the pain miraculously disappears after the medication ends. Even after surgery the finger will be in a fixed position with little to no movement, but it is expected to be in a state suitable to play cricket..

Shakib injured his finger in the final of the tri-nation series against Sri Lanka in January this year.

After returning from the Caribbean in August, Shakib said that he will have to undergo surgery, but Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan expressed a desire that he postpone the operation till after the Asia Cup.

Shakib return from the UAE mid-way through the Asia Cup and had to undergo immediate surgery to remove the pus from his finger in Dhaka and flew for Australia on October 5.

SHAKIB'S RACE TO THE WC IN CASE OF SURGERY

When the medication stops then we have to wait for one or two months to see if the infection increases. Doctors are thinking six months to a year. The medication will end after a month and a half to two months from now; I have to start playing a month after the medication ends to see whether the infection is still there, whether the virus has remained in the bone. If the pain goes away miraculously, there will not have to be a surgery, but chances of that are minuscule. 

In the lead-up to the 2019 World Cup, we take a look back on World Cups past through the eyes of Bangladesh's former World Cup stars. Akram Khan had featured for the nation's inaugural World Cup campaign in 1999 and another time after that in the 2003 edition. Akram, who is now one of the national selectors, had captained Bangladesh in 15 ODIs. In an interview with The Daily Star's Nabid Yeasin recently, he shared some of his World Cup memories and more.

The Daily Star (TDS): You played in the 1999 and 2003 World Cups for Bangladesh. How significant is it for a player to feature in a World Cup?

Akram Khan (AK): The World Cup is obviously a special event because it comes every four years. The exposure in a World Cup is more than in any series or tournament and its value is also higher. For those reasons, every player wants to play well at a World Cup. In 1999, we had to qualify by playing the ICC Trophy and only then could we play in the World Cup. So, at that time the excitement was totally different as Bangladesh, for the first time, qualified for the World Cup. Playing in your first World Cup is a different experience altogether.

TDS: What is your best World Cup memory?

AK: My best World Cup memory would be the time when we beat Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup. I scored 42 runs, but the most important thing back then was to win the game. Now, we win matches almost regularly, but back then it was not the case. Now the players get some monetary rewards or some assets as rewards for their performance, but at that time for a good performance of the team, the Bangladesh team would be rewarded. For instance, we qualified for the ICC Trophy and Bangladesh got ODI status and after beating Pakistan, Bangladesh received Test status. These things had huge value to us and everyone else as those were first-ever achievements for us.

TDS: Any memorable World Cup incident or story that you would like to share?

AK: We actually enjoyed the whole 1999 World Cup. However, in the game against Scotland which we game, there was a funny incident. Shujon [Khaled Mahmud], Pilot [Khaled Mashud] and I had taken our wives to watch the game, but unfortunately, we were all dismissed for ducks. Everyone in the team teased us after that and that was a funny thing.

TDS: Describe the challenges you have faced over the years. Previously as a player and now as a national selector.

AK: Actually, both being a player and selector have been challenging. When I was a player, I had some individual challenges and goals. Then after I became captain, I had the challenge of how to do well with the team and how to improve the team's performances. As a selector the challenge was to groom emerging players and give them an opportunity to play. I also had to provide support to the ones who were already playing. I have actually enjoyed all these challenges and I am very happy to be involved in all these good things.

TDS: What do you think will be the biggest challenge in England in the upcoming World Cup?

AK: I think the format this time will be a bit difficult for Bangladesh. This time we will have to play well and win games. Then the opportunities will come to play in the semifinal or final. The challenge will be there because we have some injury concerns in our team, but the positive thing is that we have some good players and experienced players and young players who did well on the Ireland tour. But it is a long tour and the challenge will be to get every player fit for all the matches.

TDS: Fans are hoping for Bangladesh to reach the semifinals or even the final this time. Do you think it is realistic to hope for Bangladesh to go that far?

AK: It is natural that expectations rise when the team plays well. But this is a big pressure for the players. It is necessary to perform as a team, not only as individuals. Be it in bowling, batting or in fielding, everyone needs to give their best effort and then I think we can do anything.

TDS: There will be true wickets in England and the par score is being considered around 320 or 330. How important do you think the role of the batsmen will be here?

AK: Given the format we are playing in now, 300-plus scores are normal. Previously there would only be four players in the inner circle, but now there are five players in the inner circle. So, there is always a chance to score more runs. In England, targets of 320, 325 or 330 won't be a tough ask. But 350-plus targets will be difficult to chase. The bowlers need to do well as there is a high chance that the batsmen will dominate there. However, spinners might get some purchase at the end of June or in July.

In chase of the herculean target, Shakib Al Hasan could only manage a run-a-ball 41. Photo: AFP

There were two crucial factors in Bangladesh conceding 381 for five in yesterday's World Cup match against Australia, which ultimately proved to be decisive. The first -- Sabbir Rahman dropping David Warner on 10 off skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza in the fifth over -- led to the second, which was Australia riding on Warner's 166 to launch an attack that yielded 151 runs in the last 12 overs of the match. And letting off a left-hander made it even harder for Bangladesh as they did not have a second off-spin option in Mosaddek Hossain, whose left shoulder injury opened the door for Sabbir.

Mashrafe is always protective of his players, but even he had to concede that letting off Warner was a costly error.

"These things happen in such matches," Mashrafe said during the post-match press conference. "But he added more than 150 [since the drop], but we have to take such chances in these matches. But still, I thought we were okay till the 40th over, even though they had lost just one wicket. We needed to get a set batsman out then, as it would have been difficult for new batsmen coming in at that stage. Even if we gave away seven to eight runs per over from then, it would have been better."

One of the big advantages won by Australia was that, having sent in the left-handed Usman Khawaja at the fall of opener Aaron Finch's wicket, the two left-handers negated Shakib Al Hasan's left-arm spin. Mashrafe rued missing out on Mosaddek's off spin as the team's first-choice off-spinner -- Mehedi Hasan Miraz -- was the most economical, conceding 59 runs from 10 overs.

"They plan to sweep against Shakib and perhaps that was the plan to send in Khawaja -- Warner was charging him while Khawaja was turning the strike over to Warner," Mashrafe said. "If Mosaddek was there, I could have used off-spinners from both ends. I still think it was okay, but I would say that the real damage was done after the 38th over."

Perhaps Warner's continued presence was why Mashrafe found it difficult to hide his disappointment at the missed chances. Sabbir was again the culprit in the 26th over when he fumbled a run-out chance against Warner, when the batsman was on 72.

"I think wickets were needed against them. When you play against such teams on wickets like these, you need to convert half chances. Maybe the run-out would have made things different… that's true."

The positive from the match was the batting and Mashrafe gave the batsmen credit for scoring 333.

"We thought that 320 or 340 would have been chaseable and were trying to keep them to that. After the match against West Indies [when Bangladesh chased down 322 with 8.3 overs to spare] we had the belief that we could chase scores like that. I think the bowlers tried their best to restrict them within that mark, but it is hard to keep asking the batsmen to chase more than 350 every time."