Tamim not complacent after flawless win: 'Lot of areas we need to tick boxes'
"Everyone wanted to win," Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal said after his side pulled off an emphatic nine-wicket victory against the West Indies at the Providence Stadium in Guyana to seal the three-match with a game in hand on Wednesday.
"The 2023 World Cup probably will be one of the biggest events for all of us, especially the four of us who most likely end there and we have to make the best possible combination and best possible team going forward."
The Tigers managed to stamp their authority over the home side in their preferred 50-over format, a much-needed feat especially after being on the receiving end of Test and T20I series losses against the Windies earlier in the tour.
"At the beginning of the series, I told this is one format we are really proud of and played really well. And we lost the test and T20 series, the dressing room wasn't the happiest. Everyone wanted to win," said a seemingly content looking Bangladesh captain in the post-match presentation ceremony.
Tamim led from the front -- played his natural game and scored a fifty in quick time -- while chasing a meagre 109 target. With the ODI World Cup in sight, the dashing lefty batter sees the wider picture with the latest victory even though the ongoing series is not part of ICC ODI Super League.
"This is really good, there are a lot of areas we need to tick boxes. The 2023 World Cup probably will be one of the biggest events for all of us, especially the four of us who most likely end there and we have to make the best possible combination and best possible team going forward."
Bangladesh bundled out the hosts for 108 in only 35 overs after opting to bowl first, courtesy of spinners grabbing the initiative from the start. Although Mehedi Hasan Miraz took the most number of wickets, it was Nasum Ahmed – playing his second ODI – who ran through the Windies top order, picking up his maiden wicket and ending with outstanding figures of three wickets for 19 runs in 10 overs, featuring four maidens and 48 dot deliveries. Tamim did not shy away from praising his main man, who was deservingly adjudged the player-of-the-match.
"He's [Nasum Ahmed] brilliant. When Shakib is here, he doesn't get a game, I think he bowled unbelievably, used the conditions very well," said Tamim, who is inclined to carry his 'simple' approach to batting.
"Even in the test matches, whatever runs I got I was batting well, what wrong I did was I didn't make big. I take it very simple, I just go with the rhythm and see what the situation is, for now it's going well for me," said the Bangladesh skipper.