As per the rules, the two captains were interviewed at the prize distribution stage. But after succeeding in the mission of bringing Fortune Barisal the title for the first time, captain Tamim Iqbal changed the rules! Before going in front of HD Ackerman, the host of the award ceremony, he called teammates Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah. Tamim has won the BPL title before, but two others kissed the trophy for the first time. Dismissing Comilla, Tamim said that Mushfiq-Mahmudullah is most responsible for this achievement. So he dedicated the trophy to them.
Before this, Tamim was saying to the moderator, ‘Old but not out’. After coming to the press conference, he sang many praises about the two long-time teammates. After returning to the hotel, he also gave a message on social media on the sidelines of the trophy winning celebration. Taking a photo of the award ceremony stage, he thanked Mushfiq and Mahmudullah and captioned it, ‘Old but not out!’
Barisal got the taste of the first title after four attempts. Tamim did what Brad Hodge of Barisal Burnas, Mahmudullah of Barisal Bulls and Shakib Al Hasan of Fortune Barisal could not. The left-handed opener won the title for the first time as a captain, although he won the title earlier for Comilla Victorians.
But the country’s cricket stars Mahmudullah and Mushfiq have been burning with regret for 9 seasons. Mushfiq and Mahmudullah did not see the title despite playing all the BPL events. Despite playing multiple finals, they have seen victory cheers as runners-up. Their loud screams were heard in Mirpur on Friday night.
At the press conference after the championship celebrations, Tamim said that he wanted to win the BPL trophy for teammates Mushfiq and Mahmudullah. Tamim did not want the BPL title to remain elusive in the crowd of many achievements, ‘Of course winning any title is a great thing. But this time there was a slightly different reason. Because, in our team there were some like Miraz among the youngsters, Soumya or Riyad Bhai among the veterans, Mushfiq—they have been representing the country for a long time. But they never got this (BPL) trophy. So I had a desire of my own, if Allah gives us, then I will sacrifice them.’
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While dedicating the title to his two teammates, Tamim repeatedly mentioned Mushfiqur’s important role in the Barisal team, ‘There is a lot of pressure in this type of tournament. This is where Mushi (Mushfiq) should be thanked. Because he took a lot of pressure off me.’
Referring to the need for experience, Tamim further said, ‘There was a time when we were almost eliminated from the tournament. We were not sure about making it to the semi-finals (knock-out stage). But this is where experience comes in handy. Many people say many things about T20 cricket. But I think experience is key. Experienced people are needed along with young people. We stuck to our plan and now here we are (winners).’
Before the start of BPL, many made fun of Barisal. Called a ‘group of old men’. However, the performance of Tamim-Mushfiq came to Barisal’s first title. Tamim made an important contribution to Barisal’s championship by scoring 492 runs. He won the tournament best award. Mushfiqur scored 380 runs. So what is Barisal’s performance so good to answer? Tamim’s reply, ‘I couldn’t have played like this if I had thought to answer. I didn’t think that was the thing to answer.
Meanwhile, in response to a question about the performance of the old man by host HD Ackerman on the award distribution stage, Mushfiq said, ‘We will try to give our best in the future as well.’ Before Mushfiqur could finish, Tamim added, ‘Older, but still not out.’ Tamim later posted on Facebook what was said in the award distribution.
Reacting immediately to becoming the champion, Mushfiqur said, ‘This is my third final. Beside Tamim and Riyad Bhai, I won the championship for the first time. It is a great pleasure for me. All credit goes to our team management, all players and coaching staff. They have worked hard.’
Mahmudullah expressed his feelings and said, ‘I feel really good. First of all, I want to thank Tamim for inviting us to speak here. It was a collective team effort….still trying. Trying to stay fit. Wherever I play, I want to play my best.’