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Batting, fielding cost Bangladesh against NZ, says Mashrafe

June 08, 2019 00:00:00


Bangladesh paid the price for a below-par batting performance and made errors in the field at key moments during their two-wicket defeat by New Zealand at the World Cup on Wednesday, their captain Mashrafe Mortaza has said, reports Reuters.

Bangladesh failed to build on Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim's 50-run partnership, losing wickets regularly to set a New Zealand a target of 245 at the Oval, and Mashrafe said his men fell at least 20 runs short of a defendable total.

"If we could have managed to score 20 to 30 runs more than we did it would have been different," he told reporters. "We were very close, a few runs short but very close." Mashrafe refused to criticise Mushfiqur for his mistake but was left ruing the missed opportunity. "If you don't score big you have to take all your chances," he added. "Mushi, I don't think we need to go after him. It could happen to anybody because he was also trying hard to get him.

"He wants to pick the ball and suddenly it hits his elbow. Those sort of mistakes always happen on the ground."


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