Shakib keen to seal series win for Bangladesh against Pakistan in next match

After ending their 16-year long Pakistan hoodoo, Shakib Al Hasan aims to seal series by beating their sub-continent rivals in the second of the three-match ODI series.

Bangladesh coasted to a 79-run win in the first ODI at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Friday.

The teams will lock horns again in the same venue on Sunday.

Shakib, who led the team in absence of regular captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, said the next tie was very crucial during the post-match press conference.

“We will definitely try to win the next match. If we can win that match then we will try to win the third.

“Our first target is to win the series and will try that in the next match. We will think of 3-0 only if we win the second match.”

Although the scorecard suggested an easy win for the Tigers, Shakib said otherwise.

“It was a difficult win... if we can continue the result will be good for us. Yes, it (winning the series) is possible.

“It feels good after a win, especially having won after such a long time (against Pakistan) - it is a big deal for the team.”

Shakib warned his teammates that winning the series will in no way be a walk in the park.

“We will have the upper hand and the confidence will be high the next two matches but it won’t be easy. We have to play our best cricket.”

Bangladesh registered their first win against Pakistan in all forms of the game after the 1999 World Cup. But the celebration was pretty flat given the occasion.

“We still believe that we can win; we are the favourites, so that’s why (it was like that),” Shakib explained.

“The last few matches that we played against Pakistan were close and they could have come our way, but they didn’t. 

“Today we were more desperate, in the end result came for us,” the top all-rounder said.