Sakib al Hasan, the number one all-rounder in the one-day ranking, hailed the first ever Asian Games gold medal winning cricket team for their brilliant achievement.
Bangladesh has shown promises but was never able to win a gold medal in any discipline despite being regular participants since the Tehran Games in 1974.
‘As a cricketer, I am very happy that Bangladesh has won the first ever gold in the Asian Games. I am happier because it came from cricket,’ Sakib told reporters on Saturday.
Cricket has gradually become very popular in the country. The Tigers have beaten every Test-playing nation in the ODI and they have also completed a clean sweep of New Zealand last month. Bangladesh also won a gold medal in cricket at the South Asian Games earlier this year.
‘We can all expect that cricket can offer even more to Bangladesh. After this performance expectations will be high and I hope we will be able to fulfil the expectations,’ Sakib added.
After the successful campaign in the first ever Twenty20 format cricket in the Asian Games, the talk has now begun it could be the event which can give Bangladesh their first Olympics gold.
‘Cricket still hasn’t been introduced in the Olympics, when it does Bangladesh will do well in that discipline,’ Sakib said.
Cricket featured in the Olympics only once in 1900 in Paris, but talks are on to bring it back in 2020. The Olympic Council of Asia has retained the event for the next Asian Games, to be held in Incheon, South Korea, in 2014.
