Bangladesh spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz on Wednesday said that he never thought that he would be able to reach the number two spot in the ICC ODI Bowling Rankings.
Earlier, Mehidy Hasan became only the third bowler from his country to be ranked among the top two of the ICC Men's ODI Player Rankings after a fine showing in the first two matches of their ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League series against Sri Lanka with the ball.
Mehidy advanced three places to reach the second position after returning figures of four for 30 and three for 28 bowling with the new ball, as per the latest weekly update issued by ICC.
"I was a Test specialist when I started but I always wanted to play all the formats successfully. I wanted to contribute to the team when I started playing ODIs. I focused on the economy rate, because that would keep me in the team and allow me to get breakthroughs. I understand that batsmen are in a rush to score runs in ODIs. I was more focused on the small things, what improvement will help the team, help me be in the team," ESPNcricinfo quoted Mehidy as saying.
"I became an ODI regular from the 2018 away series in West Indies. The 2019 World Cup gave me a lot of confidence, particularly in a country where there was not any spin tracks. I planned so that the batsmen could not dominate me, even if I didn't take wickets. Small things make all the difference. It worked in a few matches - against South Africa, New Zealand and England," he added.
Talking about attaining the number two spot, Mehidy said: "I never thought I could reach No. 2 in the ODI rankings, so I am feeling great. I want to thank my team-mates and team management, who supported me a lot. Everyone in the team is happy for me, which is really pleasing for me."
"I really love it when my team-mates back me up, particularly when I am down. I think it is a massive thing for a player. I do not think I would have come this far if my team-mates did not back me in my bad days," he added.
Bangladesh have already won the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. The hosts have gained an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ongoing three-match series. The final ODI will be played on Friday.
( With inputs from ANI )
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