Mashrafe blames ‘mental block’ for losses in finals
NTV Online
Mashrafe Mortaza, the Bangladesh captain, feels that getting past the last hurdle in one multi-nation tournament will make it easier for them to win more often.
Bangladesh knocked out Pakistan to qualify for the Asia Cup 2018 final, the second successive edition where they have reached the title round. But, like in 2016 at home, they lost to India again, reports icc-cricket.com.
This time, Bangladesh came very, very close. Liton Das blazed away at the top of the Bangladesh order, scoring 121 in 117 balls. But India pulled things back to bowl them out for 222. But it was far from easy for India, they took till the last ball of the chase before pulling off a three-wicket win.
Close but not enough from the Bangladesh point of view, and Mortaza feels it’s a ‘mental block’ on the part of the team.
"I hope we won a lot of hearts" – Mashrafe Mortaza wants Bangladesh to take pride in the way they competed at the #AsiaCup2018.#INDvBAN REACTION https://t.co/gZ6Cn6OJJp pic.twitter.com/5jUfgINtjf
— ICC (@ICC) September 29, 2018
‘For some reason, it’s not happening. If we can do it once, maybe it will be easier,’ Mortaza said after the team returned home from Dubai.
‘Of course there is some mental block. Winning a tournament is important to overcome this hurdle.’This was Bangladesh’s third loss in a multi-team event final in 2018.
They lost to Sri Lanka at home in a triangular one-day international in January, where Zimbabwe were the third team, and then lost to India in the final of Sri Lanka’s Nidahas Trophy Twenty20 International tournament, again off the last ball.
Disappointed as the 34-year-old all-rounder was, he backed his boys to keep the battling spirit going.
‘There is no scope to say that we are happy after losing ... we lacked many things, (but) still we wanted to win it,’ he said, replying to a question on the absence of Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal in the final.
‘But with the mentality the boys played, of course, it was outstanding. I will be disappointed if we don’t see the same mentality or efforts in future.’