Ever since landing in Mumbai, the Bangladesh cricketers have struggled to adapt to the sweltering conditions. With the temperature soaring up to 35 degrees, the players from the neighbouring nation have been trying to stay hydrated as much as possible, leading up to its must-win World Cup outing against South Africa.
“We want to rest and hydrate, take care of ourselves. We saw England and South Africa suffer in this weather. We are used to hot weather but it won’t be easy for us. The weather will treat both teams equally,” said Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan.
In its last outing against England, South African batter Heinrich Klaasen, too, struggled in such conditions. By his own admission, it felt as if he was in the ‘sauna’, breathing in hot air. Shakib, too, shared a similar opinion. “Humidity is the major problem. No matter how much water you drink, you still lose fluid from your body. You get tired quickly. You can get cramps.”
Hathurusinghe skips training session
On Sunday, as the team trained, Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusinghe skipped the session as he was ‘not feeling well’, and players, too, took frequent drinks breaks to stay hydrated.
Despite a winning start, Bangladesh hasn’t looked too threatening in the World Cup so far, but Shakib still harbours the dream of making it to the semifinals.
“We still harbour the dream. Other teams are helping us also, so if we can help ourselves, it can happen. We still have the chance on paper. Let’s finish this campaign first and then you can whole-heartedly feel disappointed,” Shakib told reporters.
Appearing for his first press conference of the tournament, the captain also regretted missing out on a game against India.
“I regret missing a World Cup match for the first time. I really don’t think there’s any need to motivate players in the World Cup. Everyone is well motivated and trying hard. We have had some individual performances, so if we can pool it together, we can have a good result,” he said.
Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed has been ruled out of the game against South Africa, but Shakib had hopes from others.
“Taskin is not available for tomorrow’s game. He will be available after tomorrow’s game. He has a shoulder issue that he has had for the last two games. The doctor decided a bit of rest would get him fit for the last four games. We don’t want to lose him for the tournament, as he is an important member of this side,” he said.
“The pacers probably haven’t done well in all four games, in terms of partnerships or their bowling figures. I am not too disappointed, as I felt they did well, but they were slightly unlucky. I think the whole team has to take a step up.”
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