'We will play all-out cricket'

With rain pelting the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium outside the Mirpur media centre this afternoon, the talk inside was about Bangladesh's first ODI assignment of 2016 -- the three-match series getting underway tomorrow against Afghanistan. The Tigers were forced to practise at Mirpur's indoor facilities, where they took part in a 90-minute session.  

Bangladesh cricket's currently most salient topics dominated the pre-series press conference -- the return of Taskin Ahmed after his action was cleared, playing the ODI format after a long time -- where Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe fielded questions from an eager press pack.

Mashrafe, coming in fresh from practice, ended the presser with a note of confidence, to be expected from a captain that has overseen series victories over India Pakistan, South Africa and India in 2015 as well as an unprecedentedly successful 50-over World Cup.

"We will obviously play all-out cricket," he said when asked whether the long gap between matches will persuade them to start the series playing safe cricket. "We want to start playing the way we left off. Sometimes, according to the match situation you have to be defensive. But at the start we will want to play our best cricket, and our best cricket is not defensive cricket."

Hathurusinghe meanwhile dismissed any notions of this being a preparation series ahead of next month's series against England. 

"We take this as a really important series, not as a practice or anything like that. Afghanistan is a strong team. They have upset many good teams on the world stage. We take them very seriously, we prepare for them as we would prepare for any other team," said thre Sri Lankan.  

Mashrafe was also glad to have Taskin back. "It is great for our cricket. It is very good that he has proved his action legal. I hope he can pick up from where he left off in international cricket."

The absence of Bangladesh's pace-bowling sensation Mustafizur Rahman, sitting the series out as he recovers from a shoulder surgery, was expectedly brought up. 

"It is not that therewere no challenges when Mustafizur was playing The challenges remain the same," said Mashrafe. "The people who are in the team, I believe they have the ability, so I am not thinking about that."