Bangladesh coach Steve Rhodes revealed “we only need five games and we’ve won the World Cup” as they look to keep their slim hopes of reaching the knockout stages alive against Afghanistan.
Despite amassing their highest one-day international total of 333-8 last Thursday, Bangladesh were beaten by 48 runs against Australia at Trent Bridge, the Tigers’ third defeat of the tournament.
Their prospects of a semi-final place are already hanging in the balance and even winning their final three group stage matches – starting against Afghanistan at the Hampshire Bowl on Monday – may not be enough as they rely on results from elsewhere.
Mehidy Hasan hit on the head while giving an interview near the nets. Physio has had a look. Concussion being checked. #cwc19
— Mohammad Isam (@Isam84) June 23, 2019
But a bullish Rhodes said: “If you really break it down and we do win these matches coming up, we only need five games and we’ve won the World Cup. That’s one way of looking at it, if you think of them all as knockout games.
“Of course, that is not easy, and the first challenge is Afghanistan. That’s why we won’t look further than the next game, which is Afghanistan. They’re a tough team. They’re a tough bunch of cricketers.
“But we’re not fearful. We are confident. We’ve been playing some good cricket, so if we do win game after game after game, who knows?”
Mehidy Hasan was struck on the head in bizarre circumstances during a net session in Southampton on Sunday though Rhodes thinks the issue to the off-spinner is not too serious.
Rhodes added: “He just got hit on the side of the head. I think he was doing an interview at the time, and the ball came flying out of the net. He seems OK, he seems fine.
“The physio was checking him over, there was no blood or anything like that. I would imagine the physio would check him over for something like concussion because that’s normally the done thing, but that’s all I can tell you at the moment.”
Provided by Press Association Sport
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