Wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Mithun said he is happy after contributing for the Bangladesh A team in their tour of Ireland.
The Bangladesh A team reached Dhaka Sunday following their 23-day long tour of Ireland. Tourist Bangladesh played a five-match one-day series and a three-game T20 series against the host.
The series’ were decent for Bangladesh A as they drew the one-dayers 2-2 and clinched the T20s 2-1.
Mithun scored two half-centuries in the one-dayers and finished the tour with a 39-ball 80 in the last T20 to guide Bangladesh A to a series win.
And not only does Soumya Sarker captain the winning side, but also is awarded Player of the Series. #Congratulations #BackingGreen pic.twitter.com/9HeiNugrac
— Cricket Ireland (@Irelandcricket) August 17, 2018
“It was great to win after making an important contribution. It was the series-deciding match, so it was very important for us to win. It would have been heartbreaking to lose against them,’’ said Mithun to the media at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium Sunday.
“But we kept trusting ourselves. The top-order batsmen have to make runs; this was our plan. And I tried it that way,’’ the right-handed batsman added.
Opening batsman Mithun’s blazing innings in the series-deciding T20 against the Irish side was different to what he had done for champion Rangpur Riders in the last edition of the BPL T20.
Explaining the change, Mithun said he was just making sure to meet the team ambition in the game where Bangladesh A were chasing 184 runs in just 18 overs. The match was curtailed by rain.
The series-winning team - Bangladesh A.#BackingGreen pic.twitter.com/4e87dRhKwJ
— Cricket Ireland (@Irelandcricket) August 17, 2018
“The batting role doesn’t always remain the same. For example, I open in the DPL, I bat at one down or two down as well. My goal was to bat till the end in BPL. I played in accordance with the demand of my role. We needed 182 to win from 18 overs. So as an opening batsman I had to have a different approach with the Bangladesh A team,’’ Mithun explained.
“Actually I think these qualities should be in every batsman; attacking when you have to attack, and doing whatever is needed for the team,’’ he further said.
Mithun added that the only regret seemed to be their inability to clinch the one-day series that they drew and apart from that, the tour can be termed successful.
“It wasn’t bad actually, but we could’ve done better. We should have won the one-day series. But their team were very good. Many were from the national side, and experienced. Overall, I think it was a good series,’’ said Mithun.