Dhaka: Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza has said that the national team is concerned regarding the World Cup qualification and that they are fully focused on the three ODIs that they will be playing against England from onwards.  

In order to avoid playing the World Cup Qualifiers for the 2019 World Cup, Bangladesh need to remain in the top eight until September 30, 2017. They are currently ranked 7.  

The Bangladesh Cricket Board president, Nazmul Hassan Papon, in a recent press conference had said that there was a good chance that Bangladesh will not have to play the Qualifiers regardless of the results of the series in the next one year, since as per the ICC's ranking policy, Bangladesh are likely to remain in the top eight.  

‘We can't look too far. This current series is very important for us. If you think about what will happen one year from now, then it will create unnecessary pressure.’ ‘We are thinking about tomorrow's game. If we can do well tomorrow then we will have passed one more day successfully. That's how we are thinking.  

‘No matter, what happens outside, we are focused on this series.’ ‘It's not as though, we don't want to qualify directly. Of course, any one will want to qualify directly. But we don't want to create an unnecessary pressure on us,’ the skipper added.  

Bangladesh are yet to finalise their team for the first ODI as they have a number of options to look on as they are yet to finalise the opening pair playing against England. The question remains as to who will play with Tamim Iqbal at the top. Will it be Soumya Sarkar? Or will it be Imrul Kayes? While Soumya is going through a lean patch, Imrul scored an impressive ton in the practice match against England and seems to be in good touch.  

Mashrafe said that it was good to see so many players fighting for a place in the playing eleven. ‘If you see, there are a few places where players from the bench are really competing for. Imrul is pushing for the opening spot, and it's the same in the pace bowling department.’  

Mashrafe went on to add that it would be important for the hosts to win the first ODI of the three-match series in order to gain confidence. The skipper also indicated that the wicket for the England series wouldn't merely be a spin-oriented or a slow-and-low wicket.  

‘When we played against South Africa [in 2015] on a slow wicket we struggled in the first one day but after that we played on good wickets. [Bangladesh won the next two ODIs].