Have no control over cartoons that taunt India, says Mortaza

› A match against India is just another game for us and if these cartoons are meant to lift our convictions levels, they just don’t work › MORTAZA, Bangladesh skipper “Look there is pressure in big games but India have more at stake than us MORTAZA, Bangladesh skipper

BIRMINGHAM: Are Bangladesh really India’s arch-rivals? Given their close matches in recent times, is an India vs Bangladesh match bigger than an India vs Pakistan clash?

Bangladesh fans have given Indo-Bangladesh matches a new dimension in terms of rivalry.

A series of cartoons and memes in recent times, showing India’s star cricketers in poor light, have not escaped the attention of Bangladesh cricketers, whose on-field celebrations can be quite provocative.

Ahead of their ICC Champions Trophy semifinal at Edgbaston on Thursday, Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza chose to play down the derogatory cartoons, one of which shows the tricolour wrapped over a canine.

“These things are not expected and not in the control of players. A match against India is just another game for us and if these cartoons are meant to lift our convictions levels, they just don’t work,” said Mortaza.

Bangladesh’s on-field celebrations have often been spicy. Mortaza is himself quite expressive and like most fast bowlers, love to celebrate. His young teammates like Taskin Ahmed loves it too.

Bangladesh have been conspicuous by their chest bumps and aerial hip bumps celebrating wickets. It’s been the Bangladesh version of the Caribbean high-fives.

“Look there is pressure in big games but India have more at stake than us,” said Mortaza, who added that Bangladesh have light-years to go to reach India’s cricket levels.