"One word: belief" - Najmul Hossain Shanto explains how Bangladesh won a historic series over Pakistan
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has opened up on their historic Test series win in Pakistan. Shanto stated that belief was the most critical component behind their success and that it has given them confidence ahead of more upcoming overseas assignments.
The Tigers were in tricky positions in both Tests against Pakistan hosted by Rawalpindi, but turned the tables on the home side methodically. The likes of Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan, Nahid Rana, and others stood up at various junctures to lead their side to a 2-0 sweep.
Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, when asked how Bangladesh managed to make it 2-0, the left-handed batter said:
"One word: belief"
The top-order batter claimed that this is Bangladesh's biggest achievement thus far and that they can fall back on it when needed inspiration.
"It feels great when you are winning. It is important to enjoy these moments. I think such a moment has never come in Bangladesh team's history. Cricketers look for references. Now we have one. We know that we have the ability to win abroad," he added.
Bangladesh delivered their most inspirational performance in the second Test when they collapsed for 26-6 in reply to Pakistan's 274. Then Litton Das, along with Mehidy Hasan Miraz, inspired their side to 262.
"The way they showed hunger for the team, it gave me the belief" - Najmul Hossain Shanto
Shanto revealed that he loved the hunger shown by his players and reckons it bodes well for their future endeavors. On this, he added:
"The next time we play, I don't know about the result, but we will surely have the belief that we can win. I said the same thing in the press conference on the first day [when asked about Bangladesh's dismal record in Pakistan] that records are meant to be broken. It was from my belief after seeing how hard the players worked."
"The way they showed hunger for the team, it gave me the belief. Results can vary in these situations. If we can stick to this process, work hard, we can do even better."
Bangladesh will next head to India for a two-Test series.