DHAKA, March 21, 2019 (BSS) – Abahani Limited head coach Khaled Mahmud remains optimistic about his side’s chance to become unbeaten champions in the 50-over format of Dhaka Premier League (DPL) following their effortless victories in four matches a row.
According to Mahmud, also a Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director and the former national captain, he has never worked with such a strong team so far in his career what Abahani have got this season.
“There is very good chance [to be unbeaten champion],” Mahmud said while talking to the reporters here today. “It’s a good team but cricket is a funny game. Bad day might come. Whatever the team we got, I think we should win every match. We have the strongest side, and I don’t think I have worked or played with such a strong team in DPL in the past.”
At least eight regular national players including ever inspiring Mashrafe Bin Mortaza MP have been playing for Abahani in this season, making them strongest on the paper. They however didn’t get the service of their national players during the DPL T20 tournament in which they failed to move in to the final.
When the national players return to the fold bolstered their strength, Abahani indeed won first three matches when just two national players-Saifuddin and Sabbir Rahman were available.
Mahmud basically pointed out this fact, saying when all of the players start playing together; they would be team to beat. “Our team is well balanced and sometimes it is tougher for us to choose the best XI,” Mahmud said.
Apart from Mehidy Hasan Miraj, all of the national players of Abahani have already joined the side and playing from the fourth round of the tournament. Mehidy, one of the survivors of Christchurch attack, even looked to be unavailable in the fifth round too, which starts tomorrow.
“There is slim chance that we will get the service of Mehidy tomorrow,” Mahmud said. “But definitely still our team is strong. Other team in the league is also strong. There will be good competition.”
Even though Mahmudu termed his side as strongest on paper, he remained wary about his top order, which couldn’t click as per expectation.
“We didn’t get big runs from our top order so far, that’s the thing to be worried. In the last match, our Indian recruit Wasim Jaffer scored 74, in other match, Jahurul Islam scored a century but we didn’t get big runs consistently from our top order,” he said.
“We need a century from a top order batsman regularly. When a top order batsman plays a big innings, things would be easier for the middle order. With the likes of Mithun, Mosaddek, Sabbir playing in the middle order, we got a strong middle order. So we just need runs from our top order,” he remarked.
With Soumya joining the side, Mahmud however expected the top order to turn the things around.
“It’s not thing that we are not getting runs from top order but we have just got one century from our top order, which is not expected. We have got the players like Soumya, Jaffer, Jahurul, Shanto in the top, who all are capable to score big runs. Hope the things will change.”