BAN vs AUS | Series win over Australia has boosted our confidence, states Shakib Al Hasan
Bangladesh celebrate series win over Australia
|ICC Twitter
Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan feels that his side’s 4-1 series win over Australia has boosted their confidence ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup in the UAE. Shakib became only the second bowler to 100 T20I wickets, after Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga, during the fifth T20I on Monday, August 9.
Having registered their maiden T20I win against Australia in the first of five matches, Bangladesh extended their fine run to take the series by four games to one. This came after their 2-1 series victory in Zimbabwe last month. The highlight of their recent triumph was their spin bowling, which made life difficult for the inexperienced Australian batsmen on slow and sluggish surfaces.
Shakib Al Hasan led the way with 114 runs and seven wickets across five games to fetch the Player of the Series award. The 34-year-old stated that the series win over the higher-ranked Australian side has instilled more confidence to his team ahead of their home series against New Zealand later this month and the T20 WC in the UAE.
"Even though the scorecard doesn't show it, it would definitely make us much more confident for the upcoming World T20,” Shakib said, after the fifth T20I on Monday. “There is also an upcoming series against New Zealand."
During his match-winning spell of 4/9, Shakib became the second bowler after Lasith Malinga to register 100 wickets in T20Is. He now sits at 102 scalps, only five away from the Sri Lankan speedster.
The veteran was immensely pleased with his achievement and he feels that this milestone will motivate him more as a player. He also thanked his teammates and staff for their support.
"It definitely feels good when I earn an achievement like this, as personal achievements always motivate me to play even better for the team," he said. "But it wouldn't have been possible if I hadn't had the help from all the teammates I have played with throughout my career. Their support, along with the support from the coaching staff, the audience, was very important for me. I'm very happy, and I'd like to contribute to the team for a long time."
