Mashrafe Mortaza not concerned about semi-final opponents
Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has claimed that his team are not worried about who they face in their first ever semi-final of an ICC event. Mortaza also played down the hype surrounding their game stating that it would be very difficult for them to go all the way in the Champions Trophy.
Bangladesh, after England, became the second team to book a place in the final of the competition, and had to wait for the results of Group B to see who they would face in the semi-final. India emerged as the favorites, due to their superior run rate, to face Bangladesh as the winner of Sri Lanka-Pakistan would need an unlikely huge win to have any chance of meeting their continental rivals on Thursday.
"It can be any team and we are not thinking about that. Our focus for the next few days will be to prepare ourselves for the next game," Mortaza told journalists, reported Reuters.
After losing their first game to England, Bangladesh appeared to be heading out of the competition in their second game after Australia were in complete control of the encounter. However, the rains Gods decided to have mercy on the Asians and the game was abandoned with both teams sharing the points. The Tigers then stunned New Zealand to advanced to their maiden ICC semi-final at the expense of the Kiwis.
"It's a big thing for our cricket. It is an opportunity for us but I want to request everybody not to think we will go all the way to win the title," Mortaza said.
"It's a tournament of the top eight teams and more challenging than the World Cup. So, to be in the semi-final is itself an achievement for us. It is also a reward for our continued effort towards improving our game.
"I think everyone has contributed to what we are today. The whole nation will be with us as they were in our desperate times and good times."
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