'I never thought I'd become the world's second-best ODI bowler'
Miraz was ranked fifth in the ICC rankings before the start of the series and has now become the third Bangladeshi bowler after Shakib Al Hasan and Abdur Razzak to break into the top two.
Bangladesh off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz has progressed three spots and has taken the second spot in the ICC ODI bowling rankings. The 23-year old bowler is absolutely delighted with this and said that he had never thought that he would become the world's second-best ODI bowler.
Miraz starred with the ball in both the ODIs as the Sri Lanka batters struggled to find a way of scoring against him. The off-spinner picked up seven wickets at an economy rate of only 2.9 from two matches.
Miraz was ranked fifth in the ICC rankings before the start of the series and has now become the third Bangladeshi bowler after Shakib Al Hasan and Abdur Razzak to break into the top two.
"I never thought I'd become the world's second-best ODI bowler," said Miraz.
"I am really delighted. Everyone in the team has supported me through thick and thin. It's a great feeling when you see your teammates cheering for you. I want to thank my teammates who supported me when I was going through tough times."
Miraz made his international debut in the longest format and was considered a Test bowler at that time. But the youngster from Khulna always wanted to become an all-format player. "I was initially a bowler who played only Tests. But I wanted to become an all-format bowler. When I made my way into the ODI team, my main focus was to keep runs in check and look for breakthroughs. I have always tried to contribute to the team and worked on the aspects which I could do better," Miraz said.
Miraz said that the experience of the 2019 World Cup helped him grow as a bowler. He mentioned, "The World Cup was a major event. All the world-class players featured there. In England, I knew I wouldn't get any spinning track. So I made sure that the batters couldn't dominate me and score run off me easily. I did well there, picking up two wickets against South Africa, two each against New Zealand and England as well."
Miraz remarked that the youngsters need to follow the footsteps of senior players in order to be better player as well as better person.
