Banglaguy
January 28, 2011, 02:36 PM
Mohammad Ashraful in an interview with Daily Star sport...
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=171808
Mohammad Ashraful, the youngest Test centurion, and architect of memorable Bangladeshi wins, including one in the 2007 World Cup, talks to The Daily Star Sport about the World Cups he has played in, and what he expects from the one round the corner.
Daily Star Sport (DSS): How did it feel when you heard that you would play the 2003 World Cup?
Mohammad Ashraful (MA): I played in the national team for two years before the World Cup. I was very happy to be selected. I played the under-19 World Cup in 2000 in Sri Lanka, in New Zealand in 2002, and I played the Champions Trophy. But having never played an actual World Cup, I was really excited, and the aim was to play well.
DSS: But that aim was not fulfilled…
MA: Unfortunately that did not happen, it was a bad World Cup for us. We lost the first match against Canada, which was a very bad result for us. I wasn't playing in that game but I played all the others including the one against Sri Lanka, when I was part of Vaas's hattrick in the opening over.
DSS: How was the team atmosphere in South Africa?
MA: Everyone was upset. As a Test-playing country, the defeat to Canada in the opening game was a hard pill to swallow. And the following day being Eid-ul-Azha, we felt especially bad as we had disappointed the whole nation. We all hoped that we would win against Canada and Kenya at least, but we lost those two games. On a personal front, I got my first ODI fifty, against New Zealand, and it gave me satisfaction that I got my maiden ODI fifty in a World Cup match.
DSS: What was the better campaign?
MA: Obviously 2007, where we beat India and Bermuda in the first round, and South Africa in the second round. In that tournament my form was good too; I was man-of-the-match in two of our three victories.
DSS: What is your sweetest moment from 2007?
MA: Beating South Africa and winning the man-of-the-match award.
DSS: What are your expectations from the 2011 World Cup?
MA: I am hopeful, as we played well in the last World Cup, although then the format was different.
There were four groups then with three matches to each team in the first round, but now we have the opportunity to play six matches in the initial stage and we have to win four matches to play in the quarterfinals.
So we will try our best to perform well in the initial six matches.
In 2007 if we had played more matches in Guyana instead of Barbados in the second round, then I believe that we could have won two or three more matches. This time, since the World Cup will be played in our conditions, I think we have a very good chance.
From a personal point of view, I will try to emulate my performance in the last World Cup and be man-of-the-match in three or four matches.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=171808
Mohammad Ashraful, the youngest Test centurion, and architect of memorable Bangladeshi wins, including one in the 2007 World Cup, talks to The Daily Star Sport about the World Cups he has played in, and what he expects from the one round the corner.
Daily Star Sport (DSS): How did it feel when you heard that you would play the 2003 World Cup?
Mohammad Ashraful (MA): I played in the national team for two years before the World Cup. I was very happy to be selected. I played the under-19 World Cup in 2000 in Sri Lanka, in New Zealand in 2002, and I played the Champions Trophy. But having never played an actual World Cup, I was really excited, and the aim was to play well.
DSS: But that aim was not fulfilled…
MA: Unfortunately that did not happen, it was a bad World Cup for us. We lost the first match against Canada, which was a very bad result for us. I wasn't playing in that game but I played all the others including the one against Sri Lanka, when I was part of Vaas's hattrick in the opening over.
DSS: How was the team atmosphere in South Africa?
MA: Everyone was upset. As a Test-playing country, the defeat to Canada in the opening game was a hard pill to swallow. And the following day being Eid-ul-Azha, we felt especially bad as we had disappointed the whole nation. We all hoped that we would win against Canada and Kenya at least, but we lost those two games. On a personal front, I got my first ODI fifty, against New Zealand, and it gave me satisfaction that I got my maiden ODI fifty in a World Cup match.
DSS: What was the better campaign?
MA: Obviously 2007, where we beat India and Bermuda in the first round, and South Africa in the second round. In that tournament my form was good too; I was man-of-the-match in two of our three victories.
DSS: What is your sweetest moment from 2007?
MA: Beating South Africa and winning the man-of-the-match award.
DSS: What are your expectations from the 2011 World Cup?
MA: I am hopeful, as we played well in the last World Cup, although then the format was different.
There were four groups then with three matches to each team in the first round, but now we have the opportunity to play six matches in the initial stage and we have to win four matches to play in the quarterfinals.
So we will try our best to perform well in the initial six matches.
In 2007 if we had played more matches in Guyana instead of Barbados in the second round, then I believe that we could have won two or three more matches. This time, since the World Cup will be played in our conditions, I think we have a very good chance.
From a personal point of view, I will try to emulate my performance in the last World Cup and be man-of-the-match in three or four matches.