BAN vs AFG: "The Team Management Believed In Me So I Played Well Today" - Mehidy Hasan Miraz After Match-winning Ton

The 25-year-old Bangladesh National Cricket Team all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz after his match-winning performance against Afghanistan National Cricket Team said that the team management showed faith in him and he repaid it by delivering a spectacular performance.

Winning the toss and batting first in the fourth match of the Asia Cup 2023 on Sunday, Bangladesh posted a mammoth total of 334/5 on the board, thanks to Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Najmul Hossain Shanto’s spectacular centuries.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz scored 112 runs off 119 balls, with 7 fours and 3 sixes, and Najmul Hossain Shanto scored 104 runs off 105 balls, including 9 fours and 2 sixes. Also, with the ball, Mehidy Hasan Miraz picked up the wicket of Najibullah Zadran.

The 25-year-old was awarded Player of the Match and speaking during the post-match presentation ceremony, he said that the pitch was good to bat on. Mehidy also spoke about his partnership with Najmul Hossain Shanto. He said:

“Really happy. The team management believed in me so I played well today. It was a good wicket, the ball was coming well on to the bat nicely.

“It was an excellent partnership between Shanto and I. He has played well in back-to-back games. We rotated the strike nicely. When the conditions are hot you tend to cramp up, like I did today.”

Mehidy Hasan Miraz scored a hundred, he is not an opener but he batted really well – Taskin Ahmed

While Mehidy Hasan Miraz was the Most Valuable Player of the Match for Bangladesh overall, they wouldn’t have won the game by 89 runs without Taskin Ahmed, who was the best performer in the bowling department.

Speaking after the match, Taskin Ahmed said that he had to be very careful with his lines and lengths as the wicket was batting-friendly. He further showered praise on Mehidy Hasan Miraz for opening for the first time in five years in ODIs and playing an astonishing knock.

“The wicket was really good for batting today and the margin of error was very less for the bowlers. If I bowl well on this kind of a surface, it will improve my confidence going forward,” Taskin Ahmed said.

“The length is the key on any surface, my strength is bowling length balls with some seam movement. I had to mix it up with my lengths today. All our bowlers were good today, especially Shoriful. Miraz scored a hundred, he is not an opener but he batted really well.”