Can't rely on one player - Mashrafe Mortaza

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has said his team cannot afford to rely on only one individual and everyone should contribute towards the winning cause of the team. He also stated there was "no reason to relax," despite the 87-run win in the first ODI. Bangladesh's win was set up by Shakib Al Hasan, who scored a hundred and took four wickets, and the 1-0 lead over Zimbabwe in Chittagong also meant the home side finally won an ODI this year.

"If a player expects one of us [points at Shakib sitting next to him] to do well, then it becomes hard for the rest of the team," Mashrafe said. "With this mindset, keeping one's shape till the end of a match becomes difficult and we lose. It has happened from the start of the year. We start well but we end up losing the game. Everyone has to contribute if we want to win.

"There is no chance to relax, especially when it is us. We haven't won the series, just one match. At least at this level of cricket, there is no reason to relax. Maybe we can rest a player but that's different. But those who will play in the matches have no chance of relaxing."

Mashrafe said he wants the openers - both batsmen and bowlers - to do well, essentially provide Bangladesh with good starts. Tamim Iqbal and Anamul Haque fell cheaply to poor shots while the pace bowlers conceded 41 runs in the first four overs in their defense of 281.

"There is room for much improvement," Mashrafe said. "We won on the back of two or three performances. The top order has to score runs, like they did in the Test series. We have to start well with the ball. We have to stop relying on one guy. We have to get out of this mentality. Everyone has to try and contribute."

The win also came in his first game back as captain, which made it even more special for the man who was appointed captain in 2009 and 2010, but had to surrender due to injury on both occasions. Mashrafe sent out a reminder that having played so poorly this year, there was no reason to feel relieved after their first win of the year.

"We are not relieved with the first win," he said. "This is our job. We come to the field every day to win, we train every day to win. We have won our first match this year. It would be great if we can win all the matches. There is no room to relax or be relieved. We have to finish our job properly."

The other factor had been Zimbabwe's lack of fight in the first ODI, but Mashrafe said that doing well against any opponent is important for personal improvement, particularly ahead of the World Cup.

"I believe that there won't be a shortage of motivation," he said. "Everyone should want to have two wickets or a fifty next to his name. It adds to their career figures. If you score a duck, the batting average goes down. If you don't take a wicket, strike-rate goes up. The World Cup is ahead, so there is no chance of it happening."

Mashrafe was also pleased to hear that the rest of the ODIs will start at 12:30pm, instead of 1:30pm. It would mean one hour less for the dew, particularly in Chittagong where it has been a major hindrance for teams fielding under lights. Mashrafe said that while winning the toss was an advantage - it would allow the side to bowl first - he stated the batsmen would have to lift the side if they lost the toss.

"Thankfully the match will start an hour early from the second game," he said. "I think we were quite lucky that the dew wasn't excess. The spinners could grip the ball as it was drying up rather quickly. But it is still a concern.

"Winning the toss has an advantage. We can bowl first in peace. But it doesn't mean losing the toss is losing the game. All our players showed today that we can find a solution to a problem. When we haven't won the toss, we must bat well. When we do, we must bowl well to make life easy for the batsmen."