Russell Domingo says Bangladesh are paying no heed to the outside noise

Ahead of Bangladesh’s Super 12 match against Sri Lanka, head coach Russell Domingo has said the team is focussing on winning their upcoming game and trying to pay no heed to the outside noise. Notably, Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah and board president Nazum Hasan got into a feud after Bangladesh’s shock loss to Scotland in their opening game. Hasan had slammed the team for their poor show against Scotland. Despite the loss, Bangladesh managed to secure a Super 12 berth. After clearing the qualification hurdle, Mahmudullah took a dig at the president saying he doesn't pay attention to the criticism as it is bound to come when you are playing for your country.

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"I am just here to focus on the cricket. I can't be too concerned what gets said outside of the team. My focus is to prepare the team well mentally and physically for tomorrow," Domingo told reporters. "When you are playing for Bangladesh, there's always going to be criticism when things don't go well. A big part of coaching is for the team to focus on what they can control. There's nothing we can do about what people are writing and saying.

Speaking about Bangladesh’s match against Sri Lanka, the coach said he is wary of the threat the Lankan Lions possess. "I think we have played against Sri Lanka a bit over the last couple of months. We have had some good contests against them in ODIs and Tests. We have played against Hasaranga quite a bit over the last couple of months and we know what he is capable of," he said.

The match will be played in Sharjah where the wickets have offered enough assistance to the slower bowlers. Domingo said the conditions will suit Bangladesh as they have been playing in similar conditions of late. "These type of conditions can suit us. Sharjah is similar to the wickets in Dhaka. Hopefully, that can assist us in tomorrow's game."

Both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will have a mammoth task of qualification for the semis given that the group boasts of top teams like England, West Indies, South Africa and Australia. Only two teams can secure a semi-final berth from the group.