Afif Hossain has returned to Dhaka from South Africa after the Tiger’s historic 2-1 series win in One-Day Internationals. But Afif is not taking a breather from competitive cricket as he joined his Dhaka Premier League team Abahani Limited a day after his return.
Afif started training with his Abahani teammates at the BCB (Bangladesh Cricket Board) Academy ground in Mirpur on Sunday. After the team meeting, Afif spoke with Prothom Alo about his eventful year in international cricket
Q :
Let’s start with the South Africa series. How does it feel after winning an ODI series against South Africa in South Africa?
Definitely it feels great. Bangladesh has never won an ODI series like this away from home. Personally, I am very happy that I got to take part in a series like this.
Q :
You also played very well…
It always feels great to contribute for the team. The fact that I contributed to a series win like this, gives me a lot of satisfaction.
Q :
You have been playing in the national team for around 2.5 years. The South Africa series is the greatest achievement of your career so far, right?
That’s for sure. Not just me, it’s a great achievement for the entire Bangladesh team.
Q :
Did you expect to win the series?
We are a good team in ODIs, we always had that belief. If we play well, of course we can win. We prepared accordingly to get accustomed to the condition. At the end when we succeeded, everyone was overjoyed.
Q :
Almost every member of Bangladesh’s coaching staff is South African. How much did that help you?
Albie (Morkel) worked with us. His sessions on death over batting were quite helpful. I worked a little on power hitting. I learnt a couple of methods. If I continue practicing, my power hitting will also improve.
Q :
This was your first tour to South Africa. How did you cope with the extra bounce? It looked like you were finding the wickets very easy to bat on.
Our head coach (Russell Domingo) is from South Africa. He instilled a belief in us that initially the wickets will be tough to bat on but later we can score runs easily. The outfield is also quite fast. So, I tried to follow his words. I initially took some time in the middle. Gradually, it got easier to bat on. And we got a chance to train for a few days beforehand. We made use of it. That also helped us a lot.
Q :
Even before the South Africa tour, you were in good form during the BPL (Bangladesh Premier League) and the Afghanistan series. Did that help you?
It’s important to be in a good rhythm. But I feel that I perform at my best when I erase the memories of the previous game completely. If I play well one day, I don’t keep that in mind for the next day. I start each day afresh. Even if I play poorly, I have the same attitude the next day. I was in good form in South Africa. Even there, I played match-wise. That’s very important to me.
Q :
So you mean that switching on and switching off is important for you…
Yes
Q :
And you have turned it into a habit through repetition…
This is a matter of habit. When you play well, you hear good things. And when you play bad, you hear negative things. I want to remain the same during both times. Whether I play well or badly, I want to remain neutral. This helps me keep calm mentally.
Q :
Let’s go back a bit. You formed a 174-run partnership with Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the Afghanistan series. Your partnership with Miraz won Bangladesh the match from 45-6. You will always get praised for that partnership.
That was the most memorable match of my life. We had lost a lot of wickets and still needed a lot of runs. After arriving at the crease I looked at the wicket and thought to myself, let’s see how long I can bat. Gradually, when we got close to the target, I started feeling that a win was possible. Then I tried harder to guard my wicket. The runs were coming. The wicket in Chattogram is good, we all know that. I was only thinking about not giving away my wicket.
Q :
That was your eighth ODI match. Did you ever think that you will play such a memorable innings so early into your career?
Actually, I don’t think about these things too much. While playing cricket, I only try to think about that moment and enjoy it, nothing more.
Q :
What was the secret behind that partnership with Miraz…
Even before playing international cricket, I had a good relationship with Miraz bhai. Playing together for a long time helps you build a better understanding.
Q :
You two had a good partnership in South Africa too…
The situation of that match was similar to that Afghanistan game. Even that day, we tried to bat for as long as possible.
Q :
You didn’t celebrate at all after playing the winning shot against Afghanistan. But you had celebrated wildly after winning the second Twenty20 against Australia last year. Why the different reactions?
After winning matches like that, you get excited. But as I said before, I try to remain the same during good and bad times. After showing too much emotion after the Australia match, I decided that the next time we win a similar match I will try to remain calm.
Q :
So you kept your emotions in check intentionally…
Yes
Q :
You have faced many of the world’s best bowlers in the last one year like Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Kagiso Rabada. How did you prepare before playing against them?
The preparation remains the same. I prepare just enough to feel confident about myself. Not any more or less. When I feel that I have practiced enough, I stop batting. And when I’m up against bowlers like them, I don’t focus on their names or the number of wickets they have. I just think that if I play well, then I can dominate them. If a bowler is doing well on a day, I try to carefully negotiate him and attack the others.
Q :
When you hit that lofted drive against Starc (during the home series against Australia), did you feel that you were dominating?
Before that drive shot, Starc bowled the previous three-four deliveries well. I hit him on his only bad delivery. That’s cricket.
Q :
That was definitely a special moment of your career.
Yes, but that moment has passed. I don’t think about it any longer. I think about how I can produce similar moments in the future.
Q :
In your batting position, you come across different situations in different games. Is there a particular shot that gives you the feeling that you’re on a song?
There’s no such special shot. If I get runs after getting into the middle, I feel comfortable. It doesn’t matter how those runs come. Even if it’s a four from an edge, I feel relieved to get those runs.
Q :
You are a regular in two formats. Do you want to be a regular in Tests too?
If I get the opportunity, then why not! Like everyone else, I also want to be a three-format cricketer.
*This interview appeared in Prothom Alo’s online edition and has been rewritten for the English edition by Ashfaq-Ul-Alam Niloy