Bangladesh Cricket Team Holds 'Wonderful Evening' After World Cup Loss

During a gathering on Sunday night at the Bangladesh deputy high commission office, Shakib-Al Hasan and his men, senior Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials, and the Bangladeshi journalists here to cover their country's World Cup games had a "wonderful evening."

Though the Bangladeshi players' loss to the Associate team Netherlands at the Eden on Saturday could have been avoided, the evening could have been far better.

The players' World Cup campaign is all but over, but BCB president Nazmul Hasan Papon met with them and gave them the assurance that the Board would provide "full support" during this difficult time.

"We're with the players even if nobody else is." Following a meeting with the players at Taj Bengal, the team's lodging, Papon informed the Bangladeshi media, "We're right behind them."

Bangladesh has three games left to play. According to Captain Shakib, the current focus is all on "giving something back" to the citizens of their nation.

The first thing we must do is get ourselves back up. When asked about his thoughts ahead of their match against Pakistan at the Eden on Tuesday, Shakib replied, "At this point, we are not in a position to think about the opposition."

We simply need to play the way we know how to play. We need to inspire ourselves. There isn't an alternative.

"We still need to play three more matches. And it would be wonderful if we could return the favor to the Bangladeshi people. That's the only thing that comes to mind right now.

Bangladesh's preparation for the main event was further hindered by Shakib's falling out with senior pro Tamim Iqbal, who was left out of the Cup squad due to fitness issues (something the captain had discussed in a televised interview). Shakira

then acknowledged that Tamim's absence had an impact on the team.

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