Shoriful on dramatic last-over finish: 'I even removed my pad at one point'

Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed was the one who showed the fellow pacers how to bat like a batter and contribute some valuable runs for the team's cause. After pace bowler Shoriful Islam hit a winning boundary to help the side win the first T20 against Afghanistan by two wickets from the knife-edge of a defeat, the issue came to the fore.

Bangladesh were indeed on course of a facile victory but a dramatic hat-trick of Karim Janat in the last over, almost turned the game before Shoriful rescued the side.

Earlier Taskin Ahmed hit two consecutive boundaries to win a T20 game for Bangladesh against England.

"We all pace bowlers now practice batting in the nets. Taskin Ahmed especially bats very well. He was once like us (who was not able to bat). Now he bats like a batter. Motivated by him, we pace bowlers start batting practice in the net like regular batters. We are trying to contribute something to the match," Shoriful said here today.

Shoriful also relived his winning boundary that won Bangladesh the game and gave them a 1-0 lead in the two-match T20 series.

"We needed six runs in the last over and when Mehidy Hasan Miraz hit a four in the first ball of Karim Janat, we were almost sure that we were going to win that. In the dressing room, Mustafizur, Nasum were all relaxed. I was even removing my pad and exactly then Miraz got out. So I started wearing pads again. Taskin also got out and I went down slowly. Nasum bhai got down and got out. I was going, and the coach told me, you can do it. Just try to connect. When I was entering the field, Hridoy came to me and said "don't take any pressure, It's not a matter at all. There will be two runs in two balls, even if you don't get it, you will run. Just keep faith in yourself. Later it was done," Shoriful disclosed.

"Hridoy was a set batter. I played many matches with him, including the U-19 World Cup. I had faith in him. I knew if I could not hit and if he got a strike he would finish."

Shoriful started the International cricket with bang but he then went off colour due to the injury. However the pacer is back to his best again and for this he credited Taskin Ahmed once again.

"When I started international cricket, it was going well. I was a little out of rhythm with the injury in the middle. After returning from injury I started working hard. Hathurusingha came here as coach and gave me some work and Taskin Ahmed helped me a lot," Shoriful revealed.

"Taskin told me what to do, what to focus on when I was going through a bad phase. He also told me what to do when the right time comes. He shared everything with me -like what supplements, food I need to take."