Shakib expects pacers to contribute more
Bangladesh ODI skipper Shakib Al Hasan said he is certain that his fast bowlers will have a lot more to say with the ball going forward in the tournament after Bangladesh got their World Cup campaign off to a winning start with a six-wicket victory over Afghanistan in Dharamshala on Saturday.
The pace trio of Taskin Ahmed (1), Mustafizur Rahman (1), and Shoriful Islam (2) picked up four wickets between them but had to get the spinners to bail them out after being on the receiving end of some expressive batting from the Afghanistan openers, particularly Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who looked set for a big one having smashed four boundaries and a maximum for his 62-ball 47.
Shakib himself picked up three wickets and was complemented well by off-spinner Mehedi Hasan Miraz who scalped as many to help bundle out Afghanistan for 156 in 37.2 overs.
"I am happy to contribute with my bowling, as I said all our five bowlers chipped in, they contributed, spinners played a bigger role but it's a long tournament, I am sure fast bowlers will contribute more," Shakib said in the post-match interview.
Shakib helped apply the brakes in the first 10 overs, bowling two inside the Powerplay and picking up the wicket of opener Ibrahim Zadran.
Afghanistan managed to score 50 runs in the first 10 overs after which Shakib returned in the 16th over to dismiss Rahmat Shah to reduce the Afghans to 83 for two.
The only other specialist spinner in the eleven Mehedi Hasan Miraz got into the act as he removed skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi for a 38-ball 18 leaving the Afghans at three down for 112.
It all went downhill for Shahidi's side after that as the Bangladesh bowlers came down heavily on them after the off-colour start to pick up the next seven wickets for 44 runs only.
The outfield didn't help the Tigers either. The flimsy layer of grass and the soft, sandy surface impeded the pacers' rhythm at times, with Taskin looking uneasy the most in the initial phase.
"We didn't get the start we wanted, everyone believed that once we get a wicket, we could get more (quickly). It wasn't easy but I am very happy with the way we bowled. We have been training really hard in the last few days and we didn't want to make any excuse that the ground isn't ideal and we talked about that in the dressing room (that we have to adjust and play well despite the conditions)," Shakib said.
The win gave Bangladesh their biggest win in terms of balls remaining (92) in a World Cup. Their previous best was 52 versus Netherlands in the 2011 World Cup.
The challenge gets stiffer for Shakib and Co as they take on defending world champions England in their second fixture at the same venue on October 10.