ZCZC
BSP-23
CRICKET-AFIF-SA-GAMES
It wasn’t easy to win gold as you people think: Afif
DHAKA, Dec 11, 2019 (BSS) – Afif Hossain, the gold winning Bangladesh
Under-13 cricket team member, said that winning gold in the 13th South Asian
Games was not as easier as people here think, considering the strength of the
other teams.
Bangladesh U-23 was formed with several players who were the regular face
of the national team while other team who played against Bangladesh was not
used to playing cricket that much. Only Sri Lanka U-23 team used to play
cricket regularly but no players of that Lankan team so far represented the
national team.
Considering those factors, Bangladesh was believed to win without toiling
much. But sometimes Bangladesh’s performance against the likes of Bhutan,
Nepal was criticized despite winning the game. They even lost their last
group match to Sri Lanka before taking a sweet revenge by beating the same
Lankan team to win the gold.
Afif said the opponents were not problem for them but the problem that they
faced was the weather and the condition, in which they were not used to
playing.
“It is not as easier as you people think,” Afif said here today. “We had to
adjust with the weather after going there. And the wicket was different
there. It was difficult for everyone to make runs there for the batsmen.
Overall we could not cope with the condition well.”
Considering the behavior of the weather, Afif said it is the achievement to
relish.
“This is really a big achievement to all of us. We never played such
tournament before. We were so excited that if we could win such tournament,
it would be a great achievement for us. We tried hard from the beginning to
return as winner. Everyone is very happy” he said.
BSS/SMP/ARS/2000 hrs