Although Bangladesh was the runner-up in the tri-nation series in Ireland, the achievement of our cricket team in this tournament is quite significant. In this tournament the Bangladesh team got first victory against New Zealand on foreign soil and climbed up to the sixth position on the ICC ODI ranking table. And it also offers an answer to those who seek to cast shadow over Tigers’ ability to win against big teams in foreign condition.
The five-wicket win against New Zealand in the last match of the series in Dublin on Wednesday is also a nice psychological boost for Mashrafe and his men before the start of their Champions Trophy campaign. Bangladesh aced the chase of 271 in style with relative ease, with 10 balls to spare. In this match Tigers showed off a superb collective team effort, while Tamim and Sabbir scored 65 each, Mushfiq and Mahmudullah 45 and 46 respectively. On the other hand, Mashrafe, Shakib and Nasir bagged 2 wickets each. It shows that instead of relying on one or two players to win the match the boys played as a team and their collective efforts helped them earn a sweet victory. So, we congratulate every member of the team.
As the Bangladesh team gradually rises in ranking it certainly bodes well for the future of our national cricket team. There are some immediate benefits too, such as the Bangladesh team will not have to play in qualifying match before World Cup and annual payment from ICC to BCB will also increase.
Now that Bangladesh team is brimming with talent, temperament and tenacity, we will hope that the team will perform consistently. The world and the fans now believe that Bangladesh is a rising super power in cricket; so the team has to play as such. However, we cannot unrealistically expect that the team to win every match. It is expected that they will play sensible cricket and will not collapse in a heap while chasing a big score. We wish all the best to the Tigers in the forthcoming Champions Trophy mission.
