Having arrived in the Assam capital city a day earlier, the Bangladesh team straightaway got into action mode by slogging out at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium on a hot and humid afternoon on Thursday.
While Guwahati is all geared up to stage its first World Cup game, albeit a warm-up tie on Friday featuring fierce Asian rivals Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the talk surrounding the Bangladesh team has been about the spat between captain Shakib Al Hasan and his predecessor Tamim Iqbal.
As if Bangladesh omitting its highest run-getter in ODIs even after the veteran opener had reversed his decision to retire was not enough, Shakib added fuel to fire. In an interview before leaving for India, Shakib revealed Tamim declined to bat lower down the order, adding that the batter’s behaviour was “childish”.
No wonder then that more than Bangladesh’s preparation, young pacer Hasan Mahmud was asked more about the mood in the camp than the team’s World Cup preparation. But just like his impressive outings in limited-overs formats for Bangladesh, the pacer did not stray in line and length in his responses.
“We don’t think much about what happens outside. We just have to keep following our skills, follow our routine and be professional,” Hasan said after Bangladesh’s three-hour session.
“From my side, I never think about it. I have come here to play a role, so I am already in the zone to do well and contribute for the team.”
The 23-year-old did concede that Tamim’s absence will be felt but was confident the team has the wherewithal to ensure his absence is not felt over the next seven weeks. “He is one of our great batsmen. Obviously, it will have an impact on the side but we will work together and try to recover as a team,” Hasan said.
Friday’s fixture: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, 2 PM IST
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