‘Being 1-0 down is tough mentally’

For Zimbabwe, it will be a tough ask to get a high-flying Bangladesh off their feet and take the series to a decider by winning the second ODI of the three-match series at the Sylhet International Stadium today.

Bangladesh lead the series 1-0 after registering a thumping 169-run victory -- their biggest in ODIs in terms of runs -- on Sunday. While the Tigers will be in high spirits, Zimbabwe might find a bit of relief in the fact that two of their pivotal figures -- Sean Williams and Craig Ervine -- are likely to bolster their ranks for today's encounter.

All-rounder Williams, the regular Zimbabwe captain, joined the squad on Sunday after missing the one-off Test and the first ODI to be with his family for the birth of his first child. Meanwhile, Ervine played the lone Test in Dhaka but missed the ODI series opener owing to injury.    

"I think being 1-0 down is mentally tough for the guys. It was disappointing yesterday [Sunday] in all aspects. Moving forward, having a plan tomorrow [Tuesday] would be key. Hopefully I can bring a bit of energy and calm. Craig Ervine is getting there too, so he will be ready to play," said Williams during the pre-match press conference in Sylhet yesterday. 

Williams also thought that winning a game is not about lifting a mental block, but about implementation and execution of plans.

"I don't think it's a mental block. I think it is a simple thing of applying ourselves and getting runs on the board. I think our batsmen get in and get out, after getting fifties or sixties. Bangladesh batsmen have got hundreds against us. I think getting hundreds is extremely important, especially from the senior players. Guys like Brendan [Taylor] and [Sikandar] Raza play a massive role in our team. Having them firing is going to be extremely important for us," concluded Williams.