ePaper_2nd Edition_October 12, 2016

DT
24
Sport
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2016
TOP STORIES
‘I think incidents will
fire up both teams’
The high-voltage third and final
ODI between Bangladesh and
England today is all set to usher in
the newest rivalry in world cricket
following the much-talked about
war of words after the second
game in Mirpur on Sunday. PAGE 25
BANGLADESH V ENGLAND
3RD ODI, ZACS
HEAD-TO-HEAD
BANGLADESH
ENGLAND
18 Matches 18
4 Wins 14
14 Losses 4
22.22 Win % 77.77
Kayes (374) MR Strauss (610)
Tamim (125) HS Strauss (154)
Shakib (14) MW Flintoff (12)
Mashrafe (4/29) BB Collingwood (6/31)
Tamim is 34 runs away from becoming
the first Bangladesh batsman to
score 5,000 runs in ODIs
Ben Stokes needs 13 runs to reach
1000 in ODIs.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Is it the end of
a tunnel?
The crisis in Bangladesh football
right now is nothing new. It has
been years since their decline
began while some would argue
that it stretches back to a decade.
Monday’s defeat against Bhutan was
the lowest point though. PAGE 26
Kohli gets mace after
India top rankings
Skipper and champion batsman
Virat Kohli was yesterday
presented with the ICC Test
Championship mace as India were
officially crowned the number one
side after their 3-0 thrashing of
New Zealand. PAGE 27
Pogba fires France as
Portugal run riot
A searing first-half strike from
Manchester United starlet Paul
Pogba handed France a 1-0 win at
rivals the Netherlands as Belgium
and Portugal clocked up 6-0
victories and Christian Benteke
grabbed a slice of World Cup
qualifying history. PAGE 28
Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib al Hasan is a picture of concentration during a nets session at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury
Stadium in Chittagong yesterday
MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK
Mashrafe: Criticism
hasn’t touched me at all
• Tribune Report
The clash and heated conversation
between the Bangladesh and
England cricketers during and after
the second ODI in Mirpur on
Sunday gave birth to a lot of anger
and discussions.
Countless Tigers fans were
unhappy as captain Mashrafe bin
Mortaza and Sabbir Rahman were
both fined 20 percent of their
match fee while English skipper
Jos Buttler only received an official
reprimand for breaching the
International Cricket Council’s
Code of Conduct.
However, one of the men in
question, Mashrafe, said he is not
reading too much into the situation
and only concentrating on
the series decider, scheduled for
today at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury
Stadium in Chittagong.
“Actually the discussion and
criticism have not touched me at
all. I don’t even know what happened.
Yes, Sabbir and I got fined,
but I have not been thinking
about these things. I have never
thought about these things in my
career,” Mashrafe told the media
yesterday.
“If you look at the past, I have
played for 16 years, we have heard
comments of many people and
we have kept on playing. The
Bangladesh team played (in the
right spirit) and I don’t think that
we did something unjustly.
“Even we have heard comments
from others. Yes, maybe many
things might happen in the heat of
the moment, so one doesn’t have
to go overboard with this. Everyone
will have to take this easily.
Match referee was there, he saw
our mistakes and we have been
fined. I have accepted this and it is
a gentleman’s game so we will try
to play our best,” he said.
The Tigers skipper added that
they are not tensed or nervous on
the eve of the third and final ODI
and that they are approaching it
normally.
“As far as our team are concerned,
I hope it will be a normal
match. We are concentrating on
our preparation. Obviously, we
will start the game as we always
do. I am expecting nothing to
happen on the ground. I am also
expecting a good match,” he said.
Meanwhile, there are major
concerns regarding the weather
in the port city, especially in the
last 24 hours. Persistent rainfall
is threatening the deciding game
and Mashrafe said, “Firstly, since
it’s raining, obviously this is a
matter of concern because we
have to think of how the weather
will behave [today]. A lot will depend
on how the wicket will behave
[today].”
Bangladesh will be targeting
their seventh consecutive ODI
series win at home but Mashrafe
said they will need to be on their
guard against an established side
like England.
“Not really, as I said England
are doing really well. In the first
press conference, I said England
are playing really well and even in
the last two matches, they were
on top. Luckily, we won the second
match. Yes, we played well,
but we have not been up to the
mark,” he said.
“The next match is obviously a
big match for us, we will try our
best. You asked if we were favourites,
I don’t think so.
“For a team to win, they have
to play well in all departments.
If you talk about top-order batting
or if you see the first match,
the dropped catches cost us, I
feel that it is important to have
balance in all departments. We
have the ability to play well in all
departments and we are thinking
about that.” •
MAHMUDULLAH
A lot will depend on one of the most
effective and in-form batsman in the
shape of Mahmudullah when Bangladesh
take on England in the third and final
ODI in Chittagong today. The 30-year
old was the highest scorer with 75 runs
in the second ODI where the Bangladesh
batsmen faced some controlled bowling
from the visitors. He scored exactly
100 runs in two matches so far and the
home side will want another mature
innings from the stylish right-hander in
order to clinch a memorable win in the
much-talked about series.
BEN STOKES
It has been an eventful tour so far for
English middle-order batsman Ben
Stokes after the left-hander smashed a
hundred in the first ODI, guiding his side
to a 21-run win over the Tigers. However,
the 25-year old Durham cricketer
was out for a duck in the second match.
His participation in the game did not
stop there as he got engaged in a clash
with Tamim Iqbal during the handshake
formalities after their 34-run defeat. The
spotlight will surely be on Stokes in the
high-octane series decider.