Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza admits England have players to fear from one to 11, but says they must prove they can handle the pressure of starting the Champions Trophy as favourites on home soil
Mashrafe Mortaza
Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza admits England have players to fear from one to 11, but says they must prove they can handle the pressure of starting the Champions Trophy as favourites on home soil.
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Mashrafe, who was in charge when Bangladesh ended England’s hopes at the last World Cup with a 15-run win in Adelaide, has been hugely impressed at the way Eoin Morgan’s team have reinvented themselves in the intervening two years. Asked which of Bangladesh’s first opponents worry him most, Mashrafe said: "All 11. England are a very good side."
After going on to name-check several, however, he makes the point too that it will be critical which team deals best with the high-profile occasion. "There will be a lot of pressure, but I think we can cope. I think England will feel more pressure than us, because they want the Champions Trophy in a home tournament," he added.
Mashrafe will not be drawing on the history of 2015 - or even the preceding World Cup when England advanced despite another defeat against Bangladesh in Chittagong.
"That was a long time back and England are a totally different team," he said of his team’s latest success against this summer’s hosts in a global tournament. The way they are playing, if you look at the last two years, they won almost everything. Especially at home, they are a serious side," he said.
England prevailed too in Bangladesh last year, when they had to dig deep for a 2-1 series verdict, and Mashrafe is not about to proclaim his team’s victory prospects this time. "You can’t just say we’re going to do that. But we know we are also a better side. At least four or five of our players have been playing cricket together for the last 10, 12 years.
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