Two wins & an upset

Bangladesh set itself a target of two wins plus causing an upset to one of the established sides at the Cricket World Cup starting in South Africa on February 9.

Coach Mohsin Kamal said this yesterday at press briefing prior to the team's departure for Namibia.

Bangladesh captain Khaled Mashud, manager ASM Faruque and two BCB advisors Mahbubul Anam and Reazuddin Al-Mamun were present during the conference at the BCB's Bangabandhu Stadium office.

"Our mission is to win against Canada and Kenya and then hope for a good day against either Sri Lanka, West Indies, South Africa and New Zealand.

"Cricket is a funny old game where anything can happen on a given day. I refer to Bangladesh's victory against Pakistan in the last edition. So if we can achieve a victory against one of the 'big four' I think that will be our World Cup in a way," said Kamal, a former Pakistan fast bowler.

The team, which leaves today for the Namibian capital of Windhoek, will spend15 days acclimatising to the African conditions. As part of the short tour they will play five one-day matches against the hosts, who are one of the three ICC Associate members that qualified for the 43-day showpiece event.

Kamal was satisfied with the amount of work done before they left.

"The training sessions went pretty well at the BKSP and Dhaka. The boys have improved a lot since I took over earlier this year. Hopefully, everything will go according to plan in South Africa."

Khaled Mashud told reporters he had almost decided his playing eleven. He rated his teammates mentally and physically much stronger than the 1999 World Cup squad in which he was a member.

"We have to win against lightweights Kenya and Canada because everybody back home expects it. The team's morale is also very high. I am expecting a good show," the captain said.

Asked whether it was a wise move to step down as skipper after the World Championship, Mashud refused to say that his surprise decision would affect his team's performance during the tournament.

"So long as I remain the captain, I will give more than hundred percent.."

BCB advisor and cricket committee chairman Mahbubul Anam in this connection said that the board was very much concerned with the announcement and they would talk with the captain after the World Cup was over. He added that South African Psychiatrist Clinton Greyward would join the team for five sessions in Namibia.

He revealed that coach and manager would form the team management during the World Cup while Khaled Mashud will join them for team meetings. He assured that there would no interference from Board regarding selection issues this time.

Bangladesh will reach Namibia via Johannesburg on January 16. They will play their first friendly match at the Wanderers Cricket Club in Windhoek on January 18. Two other fixtures will take place at the same venue on January 25 and 29 while the remaining games are at the United Cricket Club ground on January 22 and 26.

The camp in Namibia ends on January 30 and then the team flies to South Africa the next day.

In South Africa, Bangladesh will play warm-up matches in Ladysmith and Duran on February 3 and 5 before they face Canada in their opening World Cup match at Kingsmead cricket ground in Durban on February 11.

SQUAD

Khaled Mashud, Habibul Bashar, Al-Shahriar, Ehsanul Haque, Sanwar Hossain, Khaled Mahmud, Monju-rul Islam, Mohammad Rafique, Hannan Sarkar, Mohammad Ashra-ful, Tushar Imran, Tapash Kumar Baishya, Alok Kapali, Mashrafee-bin-Mortuza and Talha Jubair.

Officials: ASM Faruque (manager), Mohsin Kamal (coach), physio-John Gloster (physiotherapist) and Dean Woodford (trainer).