Ashraful hails ‘sporting Mirpur’ as Tigers seal series surge

Bangladesh batting coach Mohammad Ashraful lauded the emergence of sporting wickets at Sher-e Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS) in Mirpur, crediting them as a key factor behind the team’s back-to-back series wins over the West Indies and Pakistan.

Ashraful said on Wednesday that the surfaces at the SBNCS offered a fair contest for all disciplines.

“For a long time, there was talk that sporting wickets were not possible in Mirpur,” the former Bangladesh cricketer said. “But this time, pacers, spinners, and batters all got assistance.”

The 41-year old coach also underlined the importance of consistency in selection, noting that Bangladesh fielded the same XI in all three matches, a rarity in recent times.

“That continuity is a very positive sign,” he noted. “Every player is in good shape.”

He described the series as “very good overall”, highlighting how players who adapted best reaped the rewards. Bangladesh’s batting, he noted, delivered in two of the three matches with authority.