‘The Bangladesh fans deserve it’

The Daily Star (TDS): Bangladesh won a World Cup under you. What are your feelings?

Akbar Ali (AA): We can’t express such feelings with words. We got the job done because we executed the plans that we had put forward.

The Daily Star (TDS): Did you have belief that you could win the World Cup?

AA: We’ve been playing good cricket for the past year and we had belief that we would be able to continue that trend at the World Cup. The cricket board should also be given credit for arranging so many matches in the last year. We got the chance for the best preparation and the plan bore fruit.

TDS: You have a cool head under pressure and have drawn comparisons with Dhoni…

AA: We did not think along those lines and were thinking about the simple plans we had. Since we lost wickets quickly and the target was small, there was no dearth of deliveries. Keeping wickets intact was the only important factor.

It’s a bit much [Dhoni comparisons]. I don’t follow him like that and try to be myself. I like a lot of players but don’t follow anyone.

TDS: Your favourite cricketer?

AA: AB de Villiers.

TDS: What about the incidents that followed the match?

AA: It was actually an unwanted incident that happened. Since it was a final, maybe some of them became emotional. We made mistakes and the Indian players made mistakes too. What I will say is that it was a good learning experience. Next time we can’t do that again.

TDS: Who would you dedicate this trophy to?

AA: It’s nothing like that. It’s just a game. It’s a game of cricket. If I had to dedicate the win to someone, then the Bangladesh cricket fans deserve it.

TDS: Instructions from the dressing room when six down?

AA: It was very simple. We had to keep wickets in hand and not give their two main bowlers, especially their leg-spinner who was bowling really well, wickets. If we didn’t give him wickets, then maybe the runs would come from the other end.

TDS: What was the discussion with Emon during vital partnership?

AA: What I said to him was that we were not going to take risky runs. No half-runs and if it was a confirmed single, we would take it.