Ashraful says he is confident! Do we believe in him?

[Moshin]

New Zealand v Bangladesh, 3rd ODI, Queenstown
'We will show you what we're capable of' - Ashraful
Cricinfo staff
December 30, 2007

	Ashraful has demanded his side perform to their best abilities ahead of the two Tests © Getty Images

Mohammad Ashraful demands Bangladesh give it all in the third and final one-day international in Queenstown after an "unacceptable" performance in the second match. Bangladesh have already conceded the best-of-three series 2-0 to New Zealand but Ashraful felt his side could come back hard ahead of the two Tests.
"I believe we can recover from the performance in Napier," he told the Sunday Star Times. "Our effort in that match was not up to our usual standard and we're capable of playing much better than that hopefully we can prove that here in Queenstown.
"We need to lift our game in all the main areas but particularly in terms of producing a better performance in our middle order. We can't afford to lose wickets so quickly; we need to make better decisions when the pressure is on."
From Queenstown, Bangladesh will travel to Dunedin to begin preparations for the first Test. Ashraful, 23, was glad to have the services of Test specialists Habibul Bashar, Shahriar Nafees and Enamul Haque jnr, who fly into Auckland today. Bangladesh have a single win in 49 Tests, against a weak Zimbabwe side in 2004-05, and Ashraful called on his players to play hard against New Zealand.
Assessing the opposition, who were completely outclassed in a two-Test series in South Africa recently, Ashraful felt they were a formidable side. "I don't think New Zealand are vulnerable in the Tests, despite what happened to them in South Africa," he said. "They're a good side; they fight very hard and they're especially tough to play in their own conditions."
The second and final Test, also the last match of the tour, starts in Wellington on January 12.
© Cricinfo

Guys I now believe in this guy, he has got the confidence to play well as a good captain, I believe we can win this match, because they will give all they can in that match, we know these players have the talent, and I believe we can win in this match, god-willing we will win, who's with me!!

[BanCricFan]

Moshin bhai agiye cholo, amra atchi tumar pashey.

But Moshin, really, this should be on the match thread!

[taklima_naj]

Originally Posted by BanCricFan
Moshin bhai agiye cholo, amra atchi tumar pashey.

But Moshin, really, this should be on the match thread!

yeah, it could be

[bdchamp20]

I've heard that from him a lot of times...but this time it sounds most authentic.

[zainab]

I always have faith in Ash, but ever so often he lets me down and lets himself down. Hopefully, now he can blossom and come into his own as a batsman, leader and captain. I have loved this little fella since he was seventeen, no other cricketer in the world has appealed to me as him. Even now, my younger sister has fallen in love with him, anyhow, she is married and has 2 kids. i sent her the article that Miraz bhai wrote about him, she has watched some of his matches, against Aussies, SA and his century against SL.I constantly pray for his success.

[Murad]

I believe him. We will see a good innings from him today, Inshallah. Just pray for him.

[zainab]

There are many Ashraful's bashers and haters here and also there are loyal and genuine fans. For all the fans, I would like to share this with you.
I was watching at a program called"Cricket America" and ever so often they feature a player profile of a young rising star and to my surprise it was no other but Mohammad ASHRAFUL
The feature was introduced by one Mr Utpul Shuvro of Protham,who praised Ashraful and referred to him as a lucky find for BD and who has become a dedicated cricketer.
After this Ashraful was interviewed, I think that this was before the 20/20 tour.
He began by saying that football was more popular than cricket and his love of cricket began when he used to accompany his cousin Abdul Ahmed Poneer who was playing for the second division league.He used to watch all his matches and he is the one who influenced him to play cricket by making him practice bowling and batting when he was about 8 to 9 yrs old.
He said that he began as a net boy at 9 yrs of age at Sidhesdheswary Cricket ground just to watch the seniors play cricket, then the captain gave him the opportunity to bowl and bat with the seniors. He played for Amarjyti club as a leg spinner. He spoke fondly of his mentor Wahidul Ghani, of his influence and how he encouraged him to play against the seniors at 10-11 yrs of age. He played a lot of cricket, but his dream was to play for the National team.He got his first break when he was chosen as a leg spinner in the team playing against SL. He came in to bat at NO 7 in the first innings and made 26 runs, then his captain Naimur Rahman told him to bat at NO6 in the second innings. He had Aminul Islam as a good partner.
When asked how he managed to bat against Murali, he said that he looked carefully at a video of the SL game against Pakistan where Murali took 12 wickets. He looked very carefully at his bowling style and also his fingers, He was the danger and had to devise a plan in his mind how to play him. The plan worked and he made 116 runs and his maiden test century at 17 years of age as the youngest test centurion has given him a distinct identity in world cricket.
He also spoke fondly about some of his successes, prays that he can repeat them, spoke of his failures, that he could have done much better in his career, but is trying very hard now also with the added burden of captaincy.
Shaun Williams was also interviewed and he said that Ash is a dedicated cricketer, has been for the greatest part of his life, and always talk about uplifting BD cricket and doing what is best for BD.He gets along well with his team and is very much a leader and mentor.
century agaiDuring the interview, they showed many clips of Ash playing cricket from the time he was 10 yrs of age up to present day. It ended with Ash playing some of his beautiful stroke play against SA and his last nst SL.
Weeks ago, they did a player profile on Rahim also, and someone told me that they did one on Tamim which i did not see.

I was so happy to have been lucky to watch this, Ash was so calm and relaxed and one can see how he loves cricket and his dedication.

I hope that everyone can see that even at seventeen yrs of age, Ash in his mind thought about the way he can handle Murali. He shoud study all the other bowlers and devise a plan in his mind how to play them too, then I believe that he can really be great batsman.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[al-Sagar]

we have to beileve

[kalpurush]

We have to see wheather Ashraful believes it or not. He might fail today...doesn't mean he has a big mouth. Its cricket - anything can happen. I believe in him and so do everybody. If you do NOT have faith in your captain...what kind of fan you are? Shame on you, period.

[AsifTheManRahman]

Ash is always confident. The question is whether the rest of the team is.

[Rifat]

joy khub shigrii ashbay

[crikss]

I don't know why.. when it comes to win a match everyone depends upon Ash

[Murad]

Originally Posted by crikss
I don't know why.. when it comes to win a match everyone depends upon Ash

Cuz everyone else in the team are losers.

[zainab]

That is the reason I pray that Ash performs, because everyone depends upon him and when he fails, he is bashed and hated, and called Ashrafool.
This little fella has spent 13 years of his young life playing cricket, neglecting everything else, even his childhood.
I hope he gets his 2000 ODI runs.

[Murad]

Originally Posted by zainab
when he fails, he is bashed and hated, and called Ashrafool.
I hope he gets his 2000 ODI runs.

This is what pisses me off. When he performs, they praise him alot. And people here opens thread after threads. But when he fails, they call him whatever they can. They even want him to be dropped immidiately.

[Hatebreed]

The dismissal in the last match must have fired him up. What matters is if the rest of the team is confident. Ash can only do so much on his eid days.

[al Furqaan]

Originally Posted by Hatebreed
The dismissal in the last match must have fired him up. What matters is if the rest of the team is confident. Ash can only do so much on his eid days.

actually on his eid days, ash can win us a match even if the other 10 guys score ducks.

the thing we need to get is:

1) ash increasing the frequency of his eid days
2) increasing the magnitude of the eid (a couple double tons this year will do)
3) getting the other guys (most notably aftab, SN, mushy, tamim, junaid, sakib) to become mini ash's of themselves (only aftab has the talent to become a near-ash)

if this happens we will rapidly climb the rankings charts both as individual players and as a team. I want this to be our and JS's goal to achieve by WC 2011.

[Hatebreed]

Originally Posted by al Furqaan
actually on his eid days, ash can win us a match even if the other 10 guys score ducks.

the thing we need to get is:

1) ash increasing the frequency of his eid days
2) increasing the magnitude of the eid (a couple double tons this year will do)
3) getting the other guys (most notably aftab, SN, mushy, tamim, junaid, sakib) to become mini ash's of themselves (only aftab has the talent to become a near-ash)

if this happens we will rapidly climb the rankings charts both as individual players and as a team. I want this to be our and JS's goal to achieve by WC 2011.

C'mon 10 ducks? So if Ash scores 150 and rest score ducks, I'm sure we would win the match? Let's be realistic.

We need, in fact needed, contributions from other player to win those matches. You can hardly count on that based on their current performance. You might say they if Ash scores a big inning, the other players might contribute, but it's the other way around. Ash can't do that without support from the other players.

Looking back at the first ODI against NZ:

Mohammad Ashraful

c Fulton b Oram

70

(57)

Fall of wickets 1-27 (Junaid Siddique, 8.6 ov), 2-39 (Aftab Ahmed, 11.5 ov), 3-136 (Tamim Iqbal, 26.6 ov), 4-150 (Mohammad Ashraful, 28.6 ov), 5-151 (Shakib Al Hasan, 29.3 ov), 6-151 (Mushfiqur Rahim, 29.6 ov), 7-154 (Mehrab Hossain jnr, 32.2 ov), 8-170 (Farhad Reza, 40.3 ov), 9-177 (Mashrafe Mortaza, 42.4 ov), 10-201 (Shahadat Hossain, 46.3 ov)

To lose multiple wickets in the space of a few runs does not smack of confidence and we have the result.

[Eshen]

Don't know how the team is going to do in this match, but Ash generally chokes under extra pressure, and in this match the coach and everyone else are expecting a lot from him.

[Moshin]

Originally Posted by AsifTheManRahman
Ash is always confident. The question is whether the rest of the team is.

Yeah that is the main problem, can Ashraful guide his players into playing
at a more proffesional level, i mean these guys are young and full of talent
but confidence lacks within these players, and I think Ashraful using
his experience and all that can lift thier spirits (hopefully that is)

[Sohel]

As someone who believes he's going to score a 100 EVERYTIME he goes to bat, of course I believe he can back it up. I always will no matter what he does. That's what makes Ashraful ASH. Not a good idea to look a gift-horse in the mouth, and that also goes for fair-weather fans ...

[Rifat]

Ashraful, the truth is, the most experienced player in the current Bangladeshi squad, a survivor of thirteen international ducks and curses from Bangladeshi fans... it is about time he is bold and confident.


we will have a full strength team in no time, no worries, once again a victory is in the cards, they deserve a victory and nothing less!

[zainab]

Originally Posted by Eshen
Don't know how the team is going to do in this match, but Ash generally chokes under extra pressure, and in this match the coach and everyone else are expecting a lot from him.

I so agree with you, under pressure Ash fails and this is what i am woried about, he is carrying so much on his young shoulders, it is amazing how he can relax.

Amazingly, when i watched him score his century against SL, i knew that he will score that century and if he had company, he would have made 150 at least.
Anyhow, fans, on this tour they are doing much better than the Lankan tour, though I think in the SL ODIs their bowling was good, their fielding and batting let them down.

Another thing I am hoping is that they do not lose a test match by an innings, bowl out the oppositon for less than 350.

[BangladeshFan]

I am not sure if Ash inspire confidence in others. There are some captains who can inspire others, their individual performance doesnt depend on it. and then there is someone like ashraful, who can play out of the world but his team simply doesnt look inspired.

[Moshin]

Originally Posted by zainab
[/b][/b]

I so agree with you, under pressure Ash fails and this is what i am woried about, he is carrying so much on his young shoulders, it is amazing how he can relax.

Amazingly, when i watched him score his century against SL, i knew that he will score that century and if he had company, he would have made 150 at least.
Anyhow, fans, on this tour they are doing much better than the Lankan tour, though I think in the SL ODIs their bowling was good, their fielding and batting let them down.

Another thing I am hoping is that they do not lose a test match by an innings, bowl out the oppositon for less than 350.

I dont know about that, I feel like this tour must the worst tour so far, nothing
has come good for us in any type of way. I am very dissapointed with the team,
but anyways, Hopes UP^!