ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2021

October 24, 2021

Mohammad Mahmudullah

Sheikh Zayed Stadium

Bangladesh

Post Match Media Conference

Bangladesh - 171/4 (20), Sri Lanka - 172/5 (18.5)

Q. Not bowling Shakib, the two left-handers, was it a preplanned thing?

MAHMUDULLAH: Not really. It's part of the game because when you are looking at those wicket, it was a very good batting track today, and probably bowling back a little bit, so that when the crucial batting plan may have come in the later innings so that he can come and bowl, because he's a champion bowler so he can also bowl in the later overs.

Also, when -- bowling in that period -- a couple of times, so I don't think -- so it was a bad decision, but I thought we missed those two crucial chance that cost us the game.

Q. When what you make of the rivalry between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka? Was that a factor?

MAHMUDULLAH: Not really. I thought last couple of years, we have been playing so consistently, in all three formats especially. And also again, goes to Sri Lanka as well, they also are trying to rebuild their structure as a team, and also they are playing some good, consistent cricket.

So whenever we meet in any format we try to win as a team, so that's the only part I thought. And I think because they are also quite successful against our center pass, because they have a couple of legends who have been retired from that area, so they had to rebuild again with their young side.

So I thought a couple of these things, it really motivated us because we can now feel that we are neck-and-neck on a particular day they played really well, and today they played really well so they come up winning the match.