Anamul just wants to look ahead
Having taken 14 of the improbable 17 runs required to win off the last over, Anamul Haque stood on the cusp of attaining heroic status in the first T20I against Sri Lanka on Wednesday. The youngster playing in only his second T20I however, could only top-edge an innocuous full toss to shatter the dream. The toll the failure took on his psyche was there for all to see as he cried during his trudge back to the pavilion, distraught at having wasted a rare opportunity at glory.
“Obviously I was upset to not win the match. It felt bad at that point. But yesterday is gone and I can't get that back. I told myself that this was just my second T20 game. I might have ten more T20s like this ahead of me, what will I do then? I just want to look ahead,” Anamul told reporters during an optional training session at the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium yesterday.
After Anamul failed to dispatch the full toss, the umpires on the field had asked the third umpire to check if the ball was above waist height. Replays showed the ball at the height of the batsman's waist but dipping downwards as it reached Anamul and the third umpire's decision went against the batsman.
The incident became the talking of point of the match overnight and received plenty of attention in the media. Anamul however did not want to make a comment on the issue.
“It was completely the umpire's call and I can't say anything about it. I could not judge anything while batting but when I came out I heard people talking about the delivery,” said Anamul.
“I am not sad about the ball not being called a no-ball. All I am thinking about right now is of all the places that I want to dispatch a similar delivery in the next game,” the batsman added in a confident note.
Before the last delivery of the over was bowled the Sri Lankan players huddled around the bowler and held a two-minute long discussion.
During that period Anamul too was forming his own plans in his head and the last thing he had expected was a full toss.
“Judging by all the deliveries in the over, I expected him to bowl a yorker or try a slower, I thought of a number of things in my head. The aim was to hit a boundary,” said Anamul.
“Full toss, half volley, people miss it at times. I needed 17 off the last over and I already had taken down 14, so it wasn't about being nervous. Probably if I got the ball according to my expectations I could have dispatched it,” explained Anamul.
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