ICC World Cup 2019 | I expect more of myself, says Mashrafe Mortaza
Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza has admitted that he needs to work on himself and not be bothered by the criticism received for his subpar performances to perform well in the upcoming matches. He discussed his role in the team’s bowling plans and what went wrong in the match against England.
When Mashrafe Mortaza’s form had been called into question a few months before the World Cup was about to begin, with some of the hate influenced by political factors, Mortaza had silenced his critics well by leading his team to a tri-series win in Ireland and ending the tournament as the country’s highest wicket-taker. However, with 212 ODI caps to his name including 80 as captain, a national record, Mortaza the captain, is certainly more important for Bangladesh than Mortaza the bowler.
''I think there are so many times where I didn't finish my overs in the last four or five years I've been in the captaincy. It's all about who is doing well in the middle and at the right time. In the last match, I bowled 10 overs because I needed to, and maybe until the eighth or ninth over I was doing okay,” Mortaza said, signifying how he has sacrificed his spells for the advantage of the team.
However, he has had an utterly disappointing World Cup so far, having only taken one wicket so far and been very uneconomical, which has again resulted in his performances being placed under the spotlight by both the experts and the fans. However, Mortaza has learnt to take it positively and use it in a constructive fashion instead of being bogged down by it.
"No, it is not disappointing at all. When you are in professional life and you cannot give your best, it is very natural that questions will be raised against you and you have to accept it. Ultimately, I expect more of myself and try to contribute to winning a match. When that does not happen, I question myself. Instead of what other people are saying, it is more important what I am feeling. If I am unable to give my best, that I feel bad is more important for me,'' he said when asked about it.
After having registered an impressive win against the Proteas, the Tigers have succumbed to consecutive defeats against the Black Caps and the hosts, with their most recent one being a humiliation. Having let England score a mammoth 386/6, with Liam Plunkett’s 18 runs off Mortaza’s last over giving them the extra boost, Bangladesh were all out for a comparatively low score of 280. Not only did Mortaza’s bowling come under the scanner but his decisions as captain were also under the radar.
''In the last match against England, everything went opposite of us - from batting to bowling. So it was tough to pick a right decision. If we don't win we will be criticized, no matter who your opponent is. 'In the first two matches, the wickets were favorable for the batsmen, where bowlers had more than 6.5 economy rate but our spinners performed better in those wickets so they had to bowl more,” said Mortaza, in a feeble attempt to justify the decisions.
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