After two weeks of high-voltage cricket against visiting New Zealand, victorious Bangladeshi cricketers were busy on Monday celebrating their unexpected yet unrivalled 4-0 series sweep.
AHM Mustafa Kamal hosted a lunch for the Tigers, who were on cloud nine, at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium and promised to hand over their winning bonuses at the earliest possible time.
‘You guys have really made us proud. The nation did not have too many occasions to celebrate together since the 1971 liberation war. But you made us smile,’ Kamal told cricketers in his emotion-choked speech.
Bangladesh gave New Zealand a taste of defeat winning all four matches creditably which also put them hot on the heels of West Indies in the ICC one-day rankings.
Bangladesh cricketers will receive hefty amount money as their incentive bonuses as was stipulated in their contracts and the BCB president also said that he will contact the prime minister’s office for the prize money that was promised but was never given after their 3-0 win against the West Indies last year.
‘I will speak to the PM office and hopefully they will release the money within a week or two,’ Kamal told cricketers and coaches in front of the press.
The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, invited the players for a dinner today at her official residence at Ganabhaban and Kamal said after the programme the cricketers will be released to meet their families.
Kamal said he will also host a dinner party for the parents of cricketers to thank them as they have given the nation the best sons of the soil. He also urged the players to encourage their friends, relatives, family members and neighbours to play cricket as the country need them aplenty.
Coach Jamie Siddons was also touched by the party atmosphere at the BCB as its employees, organizers and journalists all attended the luncheon.
‘I always said that confidence plays a very big factor in international cricket and I tried to instill it in their heads. They worked so hard and was really confident about their ability,’ an emotional Siddons later told reporters.
‘Even when they scored lowly my boys were putting up a fight and this comes with confidence,’ he said.
Ian Pont, who joined the Tigers as their specialised fast bowling coach and holds hundred per cent success record, echoed the same and said self- belief was the key.
‘When I came here, I always believed they were capable of doing great things. I also tried to make them believe it,’ Pont said.
Fielding is an area where Bangladesh have shown marked improvement and some credit goes to Julien Fountain, the new fielding coach who joined the team just before the series.
‘You can teach them many things, but execution is important. They have executed the plan exceptionally well. I wanted them to have the courage to go for the kill and I am happy they have tried,’ Fountain said.
