Mortaza not consulted before batting additions for Asia Cup

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has said that he was not consulted by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) before making a decision to add batsmen Imrul Kayes and Soumya Sarkar in the team for the remainder of the ongoing 2018 Asia Cup.

The 34-year-old further questioned on what basis the duo received a call back in the team after being dropped, initially.

"Listen, those who are coming in have also lost their places in the team. As I said, there has not been a discussion on this. They were dropped because they have not performed. And in these conditions, I don't know what they have done technically to suddenly come in and take the pressure," ESPNcricinfo.com quoted Mortaza, as saying.

"Whether they have rectified the problems for which they were dropped in the first place, I'm not sure. So all these things will matter in such a tournament," he added.

Bangladesh have lost their first two encounters in the ongoing tournament against Afghanistan and India. They are now positioned in a do-or-die situation ahead of their next match in the tournament.

Reflecting on the performance of his team so far in the tournament, Mortaza said that it is always the middle-order that used to set up the game for them.

But with fall of quick wickets in their first two encounters of the Asia Cup, pressure came on the middle-order and they collapsed, he continued.

"If you see since the West Indies tour, the middle order has always had to set up the game. If you keep asking this from the middle order all the time, it becomes difficult. As we have been saying for some time now, the middle order will not score all the time," he said.

"Ultimately, in such matches when two quick wickets fall, there is a lot of pressure on the middle order. We have collapsed in two successive matches," he added.

Bangladesh are slated to play against Afghanistan in their second Super Four clash on September 23.

(ANI)