Sri Lanka batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa claimed that the Islanders were determined to defeat Bangladesh in their do-or-die clash of the Asia Cup 2022, by hook or by crook. He also extended an olive branch to the Tigers after they were knocked out of the competition as Sri Lanka won by 2 wickets on Thursday.
Before the clash, the two sides exchanged verbal volleys in media conferences with Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka saying Bangladesh lacked a world-class bowler other than Mustafizur Rahman and Shakib.
Bangladesh team director Khaled Mahmud hit back, saying: “I don’t see any (world-class) bowler in Sri Lanka as well… we have at least two.”
Rajapaksa said that the words of Sri Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka were misconstrued.
“The statement that the captain made, I don’t think he meant any wrong. Of course, when you compare the (dangerous) Afghanistan bowlers, what we meant was we had a slight advantage facing the Bangladeshi bowlers.
Like India-Pakistan, Sri Lanka-Bangladesh is also a good rivalry, but we are friends off the field. Some words could hurt the players and hurt the staff. But what the captain meant was not what went through the media,” Rajapaksa told reporters.
Chasing 184 to win the match and secure a place in the Super 4s stage, the Sri Lankan lower-order needed to get 25 runs from the final two overs and gained from the extra runs which came through wides and no-balls by the opposition bowlers.
However, Rajapaksa took a small hit at Bangladesh in his closing words and said: “What we planned was to beat Bangladesh by hook or by crook. We managed to win and the motivation that the players have is immense, so going forward into Super Fours it will be quite interesting.”
(AFP inputs)
