Dhaka: Bangladesh Under-19 coach Naveed Nawaz praised the team effort, saying that the different players led the charges during the crunch moment, something which gave proof of the team’s depth. The Under-19 team returned home yesterday night after winning a bilateral series against South Africa followed by a tri-series trophy triumph in Zimbabwe.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the coach expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance during a media briefing at the airport. “I think we performed really well as a team,” he said. “It was a long, tiring tour. We played 11 matches in 30 days, so it was not easy. With all the travel, cricket and training and all that, it was a difficult tour.”
Bangladesh began the African tour with a 3-1 series victory over South Africa. Subsequently, they traveled to Zimbabwe for a tri-series tournament, which also included the hosts Zimbabwe and South Africa. The team won five out of six matches in the group phase before defeating South Africa by 33 runs in the final to secure the trophy.
Naveed highlighted that the key to their success was the team’s ability to not rely on any single player. “Adjusting to the different conditions on South African soil, going to Zimbabwe; the conditions there were quite different from South Africa,” he noted. “So I think the boys have adapted really well and the main thing was that we saw different players take charge when the situation demanded, so it was really good to see that.”
He emphasized his belief in hard work over luck, stating, “I’m not a person who believes in luck. I believe in hard work.” He noted the team’s efforts over the past year and expressed the need to plan strategically for the next six months.
Naveed also praised Azizul Hakim Tamim’s leadership, saying, “Tamim is a good leader and he has shown over the last year or so that he is capable of leading the team well.”