‘We all were surprised,' Akeal on Rishad missing Super Over

Bangla Press Desk: After a classic low-scoring thriller at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Tuesday night, West Indies hero Akeal Hosein admitted he was surprised not to see Rishad Hossain feature in the Super Over, which the visitors had set at 11 runs. The win helped West Indies level the three-match series 1-1.

“Yes, I was a bit surprised,” Akeal said after defending 11 in the Super Over. “I mean, the guy who seemed to do the most damage in the match — 39 off about 14 deliveries, not out — and he’s not in your Super Over, hitting to the short side where he struck two sixes. You know, we all were a bit surprised he didn’t come out at all, and, you know, it worked in our favour. He was one of the few guys who packed that power and had the reach because he’s quite a tall guy,” he added.

Akeal also reflected on his previous Super Over experience. “Yes, I have been in a situation like this. It was an Eliminator in The Hundred. It started off quite similarly — I bowled a no-ball. In The Hundred, a no-ball counts as two, and I had to defend nine or something like that. One ball went for six, and then they needed two off four balls or something,” he said.

“I remember Chris Jordan coming up to me and saying, ‘Don’t worry, you got this.’ And I thought, if he can believe I’ve got this, with two runs to go, Liam Livingstone, a world-class hitter, on strike with four balls left — why can’t I believe? So yes, I’ve been in a situation like this before, and thankfully, I got over the line and won the game for my team. With me being out of the ODI team, I have no control over that. For me, it’s just about enjoying the game, performing at my best, and leaving the rest up to everyone else,” he concluded.

BP/SP