‘We want to win this match, they want the trophy,’ was the message written on a board in the Prime Doleshwar dressing room by coach Mizanur Rahman ahead of their Dhaka Premier League decider against Gazi Tank Cricketers today. The quote paints a clear picture of the tension that exists in both the camps on the verge of history. The victors of the winner-take-all clash between Prime Doleshwar and Gazi Tanks at the home of cricket, Mirpur, will create history as it will mean that the Dhaka Premier League will have a new champion this season.
Either Gazi Tanks or newcomers Prime Doleshwar, both locked on 20 points, will become the seventh winner of the country’s lone limited-overs competition after Abahani, Victoria, Mohammedan, Biman, Brothers and Old DOHS.
The final round of the Dhaka Premier League will bring the curtain down on the competition, which started more than two months ago, and the championship-decider pits highly-fancied Gazi Tanks against Prime Doleshwar, who were devoid of any lofty ambitions before the start of the league due to financial constraints.
Newly-promoted Prime Doleshwar went from strength to strength as the league progressed and coach Mizanur refused to alter the mindset that had served them well throughout the league as he instructed his players not to take any undue pressure on themselves.
‘We don’t want to take any extra pressure for this match and that is how we are going after it,’ Mizanur told New Age at the Sahara-BCB National Academy ground on Wednesday.
‘It was a very smooth journey so far that we don’t want to end at this point and I am confident that my boys will be able to take it ahead.
‘[Gazi Tanks] have some good players in their side so it would be stupid to target any player in particular like [Ryan ten] Doeschate or anybody.
‘We need to be on our toes for 100 overs,’ said Mizanur.
Prime Doleshwar skipper Forhad Reza echoed the sentiment and asked for composure from his teammates while facing Gazi Tanks, bankrolled by Lutfor Rahman Badal.
‘There is no pressure from the management regarding the match and all they have asked us is to go and enjoy the game,’ said Forhad.
‘It is pleasing to be part of the league-deciding match. We might not have players with big names but we do have players who perform regularly in the domestic circuit.
‘If you go by name then they are a very good team but in cricket everything depends on the performance of a particular day. I don’t think we have any competition with them but we believe that if we can play to our potential we can win this match.
‘We are confident as we have managed to come so far in the competition. Unity is our biggest strength,’ concluded Forhad.
In the other two games of the day, Sheikh Jamal will take on Kalabagan Cricket Academy at BKSP 2 in Savar while Mohammedan will encounter Prime Bank at Fatullah.
-With New Age input
