We have better understanding of T20 now: Ashraful

The Tigers reached the pearl of Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka for their ICC World T20 campaign on Wednesday. Upon the team’s arrival in Colombo, batsman Mohammad Ashraful shared his impressions of the recent T20 tournament in Trinidad.

Q: How would you rate Bangladesh’s performance in the recently concluded quadrangular T20 tournament, commemorating Trinidad & Tobago’s 50 years of independence?

Ash: I think we did fairly well. We won easily against Barbados and Afghanistan by chasing in rain-reduced games. We should have beaten Trinidad & Tobago in the last match after having them reeling on 12 for five but they got home in the final over. Batting second was a lot easier at Queen’s Park Oval as the bowlers were finding it extremely difficult to grip the ball because of dew and the ground was wet.

Q: How team Bangladesh are shaping up for the WT20?

Ash: We have played a lot of Twenty20 matches during the past couple of months. If you include the practice games, then we have around 17/18 matches going into the first encounter of the WT20. This is probably the best preparation we have had before a World T20 event.

Q: How would you compare the present Bangladesh side with the previous World T20 squads?

Ash: On the plus side, some of us participated in the Sri Lankan Premier League (SLPL) last month and that experience could be crucial. I believe everyone has a better understanding of the requirements of the shortest version of cricket now.

We have found some ideal cricketers for Twenty20, to compliment the likes of Shakib, Tamim, Mushfiq and Razzak.

Ziaur Rahman is a handy batsman to have in your side, as he is a natural big hitter. Mahmudullah is becoming a very useful allrounder in these conditions and Elias Sunny has proved his worth in this version. The return of Masrafe is another big plus and he has got into a nice rhythm. His lower order batting can also change matches.

Q: What is your personal target in this tournament?

Ash: I have made good starts in recent times as an opener. I feel I am hitting the ball well. I love Sri Lanka. I have some excellent memories of this country and I have been on every tour of this country since my international debut. I am really looking forward to the tournament.