Bangladesh’s ODI series win over the West Indies was undoubtedly the talk of the town yesterday. Right from the addas at roadside tea stalls to the get-togethers in different homes propelled by the road-blockade programme, cricket, it seemed, found the prime
spot in almost every conversation that took place in the country.
While some praised the performances of Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riyad, others excitedly talked about the newbies in the team — Shohag Gazi and Anamul Haque.
The most talked about point though was the drama that unfolded in the second last ball of the 44th over when a cut shot by Nasir Hossain, which failed to reach the boundary but brought the entire Bangladesh team on to the ground, spread a lot of confusion on the field.
Since the non-striker, Elias Sunny, didn’t complete the run, the hosts had to wait for the next ball, which Nasir flayed away to the boundary for the winning runs.
Sunny, who unfortunately hogged the limelight for the wrong reason in the match, explained the nitty-gritty details of the bizarre incident to the media yesterday, at Sonargaon Hotel.
“Actually at that point of time, the way Nasir had hit the ball I thought it was a boundary. He went and picked up the stumps because he thought I had completed the run, which I didn’t since I assumed that the ball had crossed the ropes,” explained Sunny. “If I knew that it was not a four, I obviously would have completed the run. Nobody does that. I think the excitement got the better of me,” added the slow left-arm bowler.
The bowler who made a late entry into the ODI squad, further stated that he received quite a stern reaction from his teammates, for the ‘silly’ mistake could have been costly. “Mushfiq and Mashrafe bhai did shout at me, but it was all done in good humour. I double checked the distance that the ball had travelled in the very next delivery,” said a jolly-looking Sunny.
The bowler also informed that the players were greeted with a cake-cutting ceremony by the hotel’s management, following which they merely could go back to their rooms for a good night’s sleep.
-With The Daily Star input
