Mashrafe Mortaza Says Bangladesh Progressing Well in Twenty20s

Mashrafe bin Mortaza, Bangladesh's limited-overs skipper, believes his team is heading in the right direction in Twenty20 format. (India defeat Bangladesh in Asia Cup opener)

"We are on the right path. Twenty20 is not a format where you can do well everyday but we are improving. If we keep playing like this, I believe we can reach a good position. Changes are not possible overnight. We used to think we don't play well in this format. At least that attitude has changed," Mortaza said. (Asia Cup Twenty20: An Off Day for Shakib Al-Hasan and How Bangladesh Suffered vs India)

Bangladesh started their Twenty20 journey with a win in 2006. Then they progressed from the group phase in the inaugural edition of the World Twenty20 in 2007. But their performance has slumped since then.

They have managed to win just 15 of their 51 matches, with victories against Zimbabwe, West Indies and Pakistan. Bangladesh lost two matches against Zimbabwe in a drawn series last month. The Netherlands and Hong Kong too have beaten Bangladesh in the 20-over format.

Mortaza and his men did not stand a chance against India in the Asia Cup opener on Wednesday. But the captain is unwilling to compare the 45-run defeat to Bangladesh's past performances.

"We didn't do well in the first match but still have at least three more matches ahead. We should definitely take it a match at a time. Hopefully we can do something good if we can maintain the way we are playing," said the skipper.

Bangladesh will play the United Arab Emirates in their second Asia Cup tie here on Friday. Mortaza is keen on bouncing back from their defeat.