The shortcomings of the England players have been evident at the World Cup, and Peter Moores has no doubt about that. The England coach also has no doubt, though, that his players are determined to prove their worth as they play for World Cup survival against Bangladesh in a Pool A match on Monday. England need to win its last two pool matches against Bangladesh and Afghanistan to have any chance of reaching the quarterfinals. After opening its tournament with big losses to co-hosts Australia and New Zealand, England had a win over second-tier Scotland before another convincing defeat to Sri lanka last week. “They feel they have got a point to prove and they want to go out and start proving that, and the only place you can do that is on the cricket field,” Moores said.
His team seems to be handling the situation it has created for itself heading into Monday’s match at the Adelaide Oval. “Well, there is pressure in the World Cup, and certainly pressure on us as a team because we haven’t played as well as we’d like to have done,” he said. “We’ve had some challenges, that’s for sure. We’ve got a mix of experience and young players and the ability to be able to handle pressure and play under pressure is part of the job of being an international player.”
Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza is also aware of the importance of the match as his team sits on the verge of advancing to the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time. “If we can win this match, it will be a great memory for everyone involved with this team,” Mortaza said. Bangladesh have won two pool matches and shared the points with four-time champion Australia after their washed-out game in Brisbane. Its last win came down to the wire when it successfully chased a big Scottish total. “Our boys are looking very confident, especially after chasing 318 in the last match,” Mortaza said. “It doesn’t matter who they are against ... they’re ready to answer the questions tomorrow.”