e_Paper, Monday, July 03, 2017

DT
18
Sports
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
Mexico’s Oribe Peralta (R) challenges Portugal’s Pepe during their 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup third place match at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow yesterday
2019 ICC WORLD CUP
Captaincy issue still not decided
BCB looking to provide younger players more match experience
• Tribune Report
According to the Bangladesh Cricket
Board President Nazmul Hasan
the board is looking to prepare the
younger players of the side to get
more match experience as part of
the preparation for the upcoming
2019 ICC World Cup in England.
Over the past few years the performance
graph of the Bangladesh
cricket team has improved significantly.
Ever since the 2015 ICC
World Cup, the performance, especially
from the young players have
paid dividend to the Tigers.
Meanwhile when asked whether
the board is thinking about the captaincy
in the ODI for the upcoming
2019 World Cup or not, Nazmul informed
that they are still in a process
but are yet to make any decision
regarding the matter.
“We have already taken some
steps regarding this issue and if you
see there was a question regarding
the captaincy in the T20 format as
we were not sure whether Mashrafe
bin Mortaza will be able to play in
the 2020 ICC World T20 or not. So
we talked with him and the declaration
came from his end as we did
not tell him to do so. He declared
after consulting with us. We are
discussing about the process which
itself is a big example,” he added.
However, the BCB boss also informed
that they are not planning
to exclude the experienced members
of the side for this reason and
added that it’s important for the
youngsters to get the exposure and
experience. So some senior players
might be rested to make way for
the youngsters.
“Bangladesh are playing well at
the moment. Many people will talk
about the performance of the Bangladesh
team and the players have a
lot of well-wishers but that does
not mean I am not accepting the
contribution of the senior players.
If you see the major break-through
of Bangladesh cricket came in the
bilateral series against Pakistan,
South Africa, India and against
New Zealand where we have beaten
them previously.
“These three series have been
the major break-through and if
you have noticed, along with
Shakib, Tamim and Mushfiq, the
contribution from the new players
behind the success was huge.
Soumya Sarkar played outstandingly
against South Africa while
during those three series. Especially
against India, Mustafizur Rahman
played a big role. Mosaddek
Hossain’s knock in the 100th Test
against Sri Lanka was vital and
without his contribution it would
have been almost impossible to
win the game. The way Mehedi
Hasan Miraz bowled against England
in the Test series was extraordinary.
So look, the contributions
from the new comers are there.
“We have many talented cricketers
in the country. But the problem
is who to replace. If we don’t give
AFP
the youngsters the opportunity to
play then how will they compete all
of a sudden in the 2019 World Cup?
That’s not possible. So it’s important
to give the youngsters some
opportunity in the team to play
now. And if you want to include the
newcomers, someone has to make
way for them. And then the questions
may arise that there might be
some problem in the board. But the
fact is we have to give the opportunity
to the newcomers for the sake
of the team and country. But that
doesn’t mean those who will be
rested are going to lose their place
in the team. It’s difficult to say that
a new player will immediately start
to perform but if we don’t give
them the opportunity the that’s
a problem. All of a sudden our
six-seven senior players will retire
from international cricket in future
then we will face a huge vacuum to
fill,” said Nazmul to the media at
his corporate office in Dhanmondi
on Sunday. •
CONFEDERATIONS CUP
Portugal beat
Mexico to
finish third
• AFP, Moscow
Adrien Silva scored an extra-time
penalty as Portugal recovered from
a goal down to beat Mexico 2-1 in
Sunday’s third-place play-off at the
Confederations Cup in Moscow.
Luis Neto bundled into his own
net to hand Mexico a 54th-minute
lead, but Pepe stabbed home a
stoppage-time equaliser to force an
extra 30 minutes at Spartak Stadium.
Silva then struck his first international
goal after a handball inside
the box on 104 minutes, while
both sides finished with 10 men as
Nelson Semedo was dismissed for
Portugal before Raul Jimenez saw
red for Mexico.
World champions Germany face
Copa America holders Chile later in
the final in Saint Petersburg.
European champions Portugal
were without captain Cristiano
Ronaldo after the Real Madrid star
was released from the squad to
return home to meet his newborn
twins.
Portugal and Mexico drew 2-2
in the opening game of the group
stage, when Hector Moreno salvaged
a last-gasp point for the Gold
Cup winners, but were left fighting
for a consolation prize in the Russian
capital.
Portugal should have gone in
front in the drizzling rain on 17
minutes when Andre Silva was
upended by 38-year-old Rafael
Marquez, with the video assistant
referee stepping in to award the
spot-kick.
But Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo
Ochoa flung himself superbly
to his right to tip Andre Silva’s low
spot-kick round the post.
Rui Patricio produced a sharp
stop to deny Javier Hernandez,
Mexico’s all-time leading scorer,
from close range on the half hour,
but the Portugal keeper was beaten
shortly after the break.
Hernandez’s cross from
the byline floated beyond
Carlos Vela and Patricio, with
Zenit St Petersburg centre-back
Neto unwittingly turning the ball
home.
Portugal went in pursuit of an
equaliser and Gelson Martins – replacing
Ronaldo in attack – was
denied by an excellent save from
Ochoa with just over an hour
played.
But Ochoa was beaten in the
first minute of injury time as Pepe
lunged to get on the end of Ricardo
Quaresma’s curling right-wing
cross to force extra time. •