Bangladesh team is united, says Mashrafe Mortaza

Mirpur (Bangladesh): Trouble seemed to be brewing in the Bangladesh team when skipper Mushfiqur Rahim criticised selection for the Asia Cup but senior pacer Mashrafe Mortaza sought to douse the controversy ahead of their tournament-opener against India by stating that the side is united.

"It has not caught my eye. I think we have to perform together, stay a team. On-field performance will definitely have an effect on our mentality so we have to do well out there. Everything falls into place once you start performing. I think we all are united as a team," the former Bangla skipper told reporters here ahead of their tournament-opener against India. Rahim had earlier said he was "shocked at not being consulted by the chief selector Faruque Ahmed" before the 15-man squad for the upcoming Asia Cup was picked. Apparently, the skipper was peeved at all-rounder Mahmudullah`s exclusion after a listless outing in the recently-concluded Sri Lanka series. There has been issues between the skipper and the selection committee after Naeem Islam was dropped from the XI in the first two ODIs against Sri Lanka. Islam, who had a consistent show in their 3-0 win against New Zealand, was dropped while the skipper persisted with Mahmudullah who was eventually dropped by the selection committee. With a troubled knee there may be fitness concerns to deal with as well but Mortaza said, "I feel good now. I bowled after two three days. I did not have any problem." "A player wants to do well every game. I don`t think we have anything different here. There is expectation on all the bowlers to perform. If we can put together a combined performance, it will help us," he added. With a 3-2 win-loss record, including a 300-plus chase against New Zealand in their last appearance in the relatively unknown Fatullah, Bangladesh are confident. "We played there against New Zealand, so we hope that we will play according to the wicket. We have some experience of playing there."