MahMuD ReMeMbeRS tIgeRS’ hIStORIc wIn OVeR PaKIStan
DUBAI — May 31, 1999. Khaled Mahmud, the current manager of the Bangladesh team, still remembers every moment of that day. Mahmud, after all, became a national hero that day in Bangladesh for scripting their first one-day win over a major team.
When that 1999 World Cup game began in Nottingham, few could have predicted a Bangladesh win over a Pakistan team that had Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Saeed Anwar, Inzamamul Haq, Saleem Malik, Ijaz Ahmed and Shahid Afridi.
“They had legends in their team,” replied Mahmud when this reporter asked him to compare that Pakistan team to the one they beat in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday night to reach the Asia Cup final.
“That was our first win against any Test playing nation,” Mahmud said during an interview with Khaleej Times.
“Australia and Pakistan were very strong in that tournament. We never dreamt of beating Pakistan in that tournament. That was our last match in the tournament and there were
several changes in the team.
“So I had to take the new ball. Once we scored 223, we knew it would not be easy for Pakistan to chase down that target on that wicket,” he said.
“We knew we had to get early wickets. That’s what we did. I got three wickets and once we took their first five wickets, we knew we would win,” said Mahmud whose three wickets (Afridi, Inzamam and Malik) earned him the man-of-the-match award.
The last Pakistan (161 all out) wicket sparked wild celebrations at the stadium.
“We were mobbed by the crowd inside the field after the last Pakistan wicket fell. I remember even Pakistan players met us in the team hotel later in the evening to congratulate us.”
Bangladesh have come a long way since that day. And Friday offers them a chance to lift their first major trophy in international cricket.
“Yes, we missed Tamim (Iqbal) and Shakib (Al Hasan), but we didn’t stop believing in ourselves. It’s a great feeling to beat Pakistan and play the Asia Cup final against India,” he said.
“Last two times we played the Asia Cup final on home soil. So winning the Asia Cup in Dubai will be very big for us.”