Mashrafe asks for respect towards Bangladesh pacers

Skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza says it is time to show respect for his team’s pacers, who have contributed hugely to Bangladesh’s momentous victory against England.

Sports Deskbdnews24.com
Published : 10 March 2015, 08:18 AM
Updated : 10 March 2015, 08:44 AM

The Tigers progressed to the quarterfinals of the World Cup beating England in a thrilling Pool A contest at the Adelaide Oval on Monday.

"I'm sorry to say people are not saying the right thing about our pace bowling; we know what we are.

"We know how capable we are. I hope people will surely start showing some respect," said Mashrafe.

The Bangladesh pace battery, consisting of Mashrafe himself, Rubel Hossain and young Taskin Ahmed, bagged eight wickets against England.

"I'm really happy with our quicks. They have shown the world how good they are.

"Hopefully, this will increase their confidence and they will strike repeatedly in this sort of tournament. I would request the people again to please show some respect for them."

The performance of Rubel, who returned a career-best 4 for 53, had been a feast for Mashrafe's eyes.

"Rubel is a fantastic bowler. It is nice to see him bowl from mid-off or mid-on. He's swinging the ball, he's bowling fast, and I'm really happy that he takes all the pressure on his shoulder and delivers from the start."

"He was under tremendous pressure before coming in this World Cup. He put the pressure aside and showed his performance, and the world has seen how good he is. Hopefully he will continue.

Rubel was the fastest bowler in Monday's match, delivering over 146km.