“Any away series win is always special. Our series win in South Africa was massive [too]. But I told my team that although winning in West Indies was a fantastic achievement, this series win should not go to our heads,” Tamim told ESPNcricinfo. “It was held in conditions where there was too much help for the spinners. When we go overseas or even at home, you won’t have this kind of help. We have to face more difficult challenges going forward.
Tamim, the Player of the Series for his tally of 117 runs, said that while the wins have been heartening, he was waiting for his main plan to stop working, and for Plan B to be brought out and executed.
“I am figuring out my style, and what I want to do,” he said. “I have always said that it is a learning process for me. When I go to Ireland and Zimbabwe, I might have to face different challenges, right? If the way I plan things don’t work, how I execute Plan B [will determine if] I am growing as a captain.
“It was challenging [after the Test and T20I defeats] but I didn’t have to work much on [the transition]. Everyone wanted to win. We thought we’d be more competitive in Tests and T20Is, though the result didn’t go our way. Everyone tried hard in those two formats but unfortunately it didn’t happen. So it worked within everyone that we have to win the ODI series, at least. The hunger was there in everyone, regardless of whether they played or not.”
“Those two [Shakib and Mushfiqur] are key players for us in any format. The team will get a bit of confidence playing without them. The other guys had the opportunity in their absence – Sohan [Nurul] took it with both hands. He played unbelievably well”
Tamim Iqbal
“Those two [Shakib and Mushfiqur] are key players for us in any format. They have done so well for the country, achieved so much. The team will get a bit of confidence playing without them. The other guys had the opportunity in their absence,” Tamim said. “Sohan [Nurul] took it with both hands. He played unbelievably well.
“Apart from the bowlers, I have to say Sohan was the leading performer. He has put up a very strong case going forward.”
“This was the sort of wicket where you had to cut out maximum shots, and focus on one or two shots only,” Tamim explained. “You cannot play shots to the merit of the ball. It was spinning a lot. It was keeping low. You just hope the ball will be there for you to score runs. Luckily we didn’t have to chase big scores. It was okay.”