Scope to be inspired, not intimidated
Glenn Maxwell's epic on Tuesday in Mumbai was the toast of the cricket world after his outrageous double-hundred against Afghanistan in what turned out to be one of the most memorable matches in ICC World Cup history.
The Bangladesh camp was no exception. The Tigers, fresh off a victory against Sri Lanka, had the opportunity to savour what Maxwell served on a platter the night before and relax on their day-off yesterday, ahead of their last World Cup match against Australia on November 11.
Will Bangladesh be daunted by their next test after witnessing what Afghanistan went through, despite doing little wrong for the bulk of the game, or can the Tigers draw inspiration from Maxwell's, and Australia by extrapolation, never-say-die attitude?
Former Bangladesh captain-turned-selector Habibul Bashar, who was accompanying the team, blamed the Tigers' dismal performance in the World Cup on a lack of strong attitude and said they should learn from Maxwell's exploits because it was the story of winning everything against all odds.
Maxwell's unbroken 201 grabbed victory from the jaws of defeat, but the way he played through discomfort, despite cramps and back spasms, made it all the more memorable.
"Have you seen the innings of Maxwell?" Bashar asked reporters when he joined several national team players for lunch at a food court adjacent to the team hotel in Pune.
Bashar continued, "You don't get to see such knocks often in world cricket and probably this was the best ODI innings ever played."
The conversation then shifted to the importance of players having a strong mentality. Bashar believes that, in addition to talent and training, mental strength is essential for success in major international tournaments.
"I believe that before proceeding to the world events, we should focus more on mental strength because our skill levels remain the same. We came here with good preparations, much like the other teams, but I believe there is also an aspect of having a strong mentality."
Bangladesh, unfortunately, are going to sign off from the prestigious event -- what has been a thoroughly disappointing campaign with six consecutive defeats sandwiched by Afghanistan and Sri Lanka victories -- without captain and star player Shakib Al Hasan.
Bashar went on to compare Shakib's body language to Maxwell's, given how the Bangladesh captain batted with a finger injury during his rapid 82-run knock against the 1996 World Cup champions.
As usual, the former Bangladesh captain was hopeful of his team's chances.
"If we can play our best cricket definitely, we are able to challenge Australia. They are a very strong team and have a few game changers like David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head. They all are good players but no team is unbeatable."
Bashar's optimism cannot be dismissed, especially given that Australia have little to play for against Bangladesh as they have already qualified for the knockout stage with a game in hand.
The Tigers, who are anxious to finish in the top eight and qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy, can only hope that they play to their capabilities and do not encounter the version of Australia that left a spirited Afghanistan team distraught from the point of anticipating a convincing win.