2024-03-03 01:34:53
Tamim Iqbal was preparing to give a victory lap. Daughter Alishba Khan on her lap. Son Arham Khan was walking in the green grass of Mirpur wearing a jersey. Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah did not bring anyone from the family. Muddassir’s son on Miraj’s shoulders. Soumya Sarkar did not even open the pad. Tamim asked Mushfiq and Mahmudullah to run from behind. The victory lap of Fortune Barisal, the champion of the tenth season of BPL, begins.
The lap starts from the Grand Stand, Shaheed Mushtaq Stand, Eastern Gallery, Club House, Shaheed Jewel Stand and ends near Barisal’s dressing room. The spectators waved their hands and shouted ‘Barisal Barisal’ and congratulated the cricketers. The cricketers also gave them flying kisses, shook their hands and returned their love. From the start of the BPL to the final, Barisal’s fans were full of joy, frenzy and excitement.
At the end of the tournament, the skipper thanked those for whom Tamim had won the title, ‘Yes yes, that’s right… I’m impressed, Barisal has so many fans! It’s incredible. I (never seen) such…. I have always thought that Comilla has the most support. But I think, this year Barisal has surpassed it by a huge margin.’
Tamim is happy to give Barisal its first title. However, he also brought forward those who worked tirelessly behind the title. Soumya Sarkar, Mehdi Hasan Miraj, Taijul Islam showered everyone with praise. Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad dedicated the trophy. Barisal won the title due to everyone’s combined efforts. However, Tamim also spoke openly about the thing that worked the most behind this title. According to Tamim, Barisal was able to fight even after falling behind because the atmosphere within the team was healthy and right. He was able to come back with confidence. Forget the failure and move forward.
Tamim said, ‘When I joined this team, my initial aim was to create a good environment. I have played in many teams. If you ask the young or senior cricketers in our team, the atmosphere in this team was unbelievable. Everyone’s contribution to this was great. Foreign cricketers also mixed in admirably. We are really lucky to have such foreign players. Not only are they good players, they are good people. It was important for me to create this environment to play well.’
Barisal was named as the fourth team in the playoffs. From there, Chittagong was sent off in the eliminator first. Then blew Rangpur in the second qualifier. Tamim’s team did not let Comilla stand last. However, at one time their progress to the last four was uncertain.
Barisal’s captain also told the story of turning around, ‘At one time, almost everyone and we too were in doubt whether to qualify for the semi-final (play-offs) or not. We were able to do this only because of the belief and atmosphere of the team’s cricketers. And the owner of the team had zero involvement with cricket. He only did the work of giving money. We were able to return that to him.’
Tamim spoke separately about Saif Uddin on the night of winning the title. who was injured when he was taken out of the players’ draft. There was uncertainty about whether he would be available during the BPL. But the pace all-rounder changed all calculations by joining the team in the middle of BPL.
About Saifuddin, Tamim said, ‘Saifuddin’s involvement was important for us. We won the title. But if you see his bowling over, it is unbelievable. If there were 15 runs then 170 runs would have been scored. But then the scenario would have changed. His intuition was great. We bet on him. It was uncertain whether he would be able to play or not. We took that opportunity and he repaid the trust. His bowling was a game changer for us. Our bowling was a bit shaky. The atmosphere changed when he came.’
Like Saifuddin, Kyle Myers also contributed a lot to the title in all-round skills. After winning the title, the Barisal captain also singled out the Caribbean all-rounder. Before the start of the tournament, Barisal arranged the team with Mohammad Amir, Fakhar Zaman. But they did not come because they did not get the no-objection letter from the Pakistan Cricket Board. Barisal changed the plan and took Myers into the team. Man of the match in three of the last six matches. He scored 243 runs at a strike rate of 157.79 and took 9 wickets in bowling. Man of the match in the final.
Tamim’s excitement about him is palpable, ‘When we got the chance to bring Kyle Myers into the team… the way he bowled the new ball and the way he batted, I think his inclusion was fantastic. Since his arrival, he has had an impact in one or the other, be it batting or bowling. He did both in every match. His performance was a big deal for us.’
Tamim was selected as the best batsman and best player of the tournament. The joy of winning the first trophy as a captain is touching him more than the personal achievement, ‘There was no personal emotion. I wanted to do well. Maybe I wasn’t in the best position in terms of my fitness. But I was able to contribute which is very satisfying.’
Three teams had previously played three finals under the name of Barisal. No one could kiss the championship title. Tamim’s fortunes turned upside down. Behind this title, the concerned people have shed a lot of sweat. Winning the title made all their pains worth it.