As the saying goes, the joy of receiving is doubled when it can be held. Preserving is more important than achieving. Bangladeshi youth cricketers have done nothing like that in UAE.
In 2023, the U-19 team won the Asia Cup crown. United Arab Emirates lost. The youth retained it in 2024. Bangladesh retained the crown of excellence after defeating India. Bangladesh entered Bangladesh on Monday night with the crown they had won.
Azizul Hakim, the captain of the winning team, said that the joy has doubled as they were able to fulfill the challenge of retaining the title. At the airport, Azizul said with the title, “Retaining the Asia Cup was our priority. We were the defending champions. It was a big thing to hold on to it this time too. It feels good.”
“We played well throughout the tournament. The way we came back in the semi-finals gave us confidence that we would do well.”
Azizul Hakims have prepared themselves for a long time. Regular camps, match play, fitness training, skill development were arranged. The cricketers have also repaid. Azizul’s voice revealed the joy of using their own hardships, “The journey has begun.” There was a lot of trouble behind it. God placed it here now, overall looks good. The trouble I did, under-15, 17 and 19; God may have given the result of that.
Azizul dedicated the final title to dear Martrubhoomi, “I dedicated the victory to Bangladesh. Playing for the country. It’s a matter of pride. The victory is for the country.
Commenting on their performance, the captain said, “Overall everything was good. We did well in the final against India. Everyone in the team did well. That’s why we became champions. We beat India in the warm-up match. That was confidence. We played good cricket.”
The team that has won the title of Asia Cup twice in a row does not want to stop here. Want to move forward with bigger goals. Their next target is the Youth World Cup. Which was won by Akbar Ali in 2020. The Azizuls have taken up the challenge of reclaiming that title. Speaking about their goals, the captain said, “We have the World Cup ahead of us. There is also a desire to do something good. We have planned it that way. Overall everything is good. World Cup is a big stage. We will certainly try.”
“Having won the Asia Cup, it will definitely boost confidence. If we beat teams like Pakistan and India, the confidence will increase a bit. I will try to keep this confidence going forward. That confidence will come in handy with the Asia Series and the World Cup ahead.”