Mash cheers up 'fatigued' Tigers

The Tigers didn't get enough time to relax after Thursday's emphatic six-wicket victory against Scotland as they caught an early flight the following morning for Wellington, from where they would go to Adelaide via Melbourne ahead of their crucial group match against England on March 9.

“Too much travelling,” commented a seemingly fatigued Mahmudullah Riyad at the Rutherford Hotel lobby in Nelson, prior to their departure. The travelling was made hazardous by some inclement weather as storm and rain hit Nelson.

The inclement weather forced cancellation of many flights, but Tigers were lucky enough asthat their Wellington-bound flight was only delayed an hour and a half. The flight of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan Papon and BCB director Naimur Rahman Durjoy, who were schedule to fly after an hour after the Tigers, were also cancelled but they were lucky enough to get two vacant seats in the airplane carrying the Tigers.

As always, skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza was busy cheering up his teammates but there was little consolation for opener Anamul Haque, who had dislocated his right shoulder while trying to stop a boundary during the Scotland innings on Thursday. Anamul's replacement, Imrul Kayes, is expected to join the team in Adelaide today.

Mashrafe, though, shrugged off the strain on his calf muscle and was looking forward to the game against England. The pacer was in good mood, especially due to the team's brilliant run-chase against Scotland, which gave them much-needed confidence ahead of the England game. Bangladesh sit fourth in Pool A with five points and will need only one victory out of their last two group matches – against England and New Zealand -- to qualify for the quarterfinals.