The whole of Bangladesh were overjoyed with the country’s World Cup win in the 2020 U19 Cricket World Cup. The skipper of the junior team Akbar Ali meanwhile became a national hero.
With successfully leading the country to the championship victory, soon media personnel and fans compared Akbar to former Indian World Cup-winning skipper MS Dhoni who also happened to be a wicketkeeper just like Akbar.
However, the Bangladeshi teenager has dismissed those comparisons while trying to not get carried away but keep his foot on the ground.
The way Akbar played the match-winning unbeaten 43-run innings in tough circumstances to guide his side over the line in Sunday’s final in Potchefstroom, South Africa against India to make sure Bangladesh seal their maiden World Cup glory reminded everyone of India’s Captain Cool MS Dhoni.
Just like Dhoni, Akbar too kept his calm and finished the game for the Young Tigers. In the 2011 World Cup final played at Wankhade Stadium in Mumbai, Dhoni the then captain of the Indian team played a match-winning knock of 91 not out to guide the Men in Blue to their second World Cup trophy win since 1983.
But though most people are seeing a new Dhoni in Akbar, the young boy from Rangpur has dismissed the comparison, stating being compared to Dhoni is “just excessive.”
“I think to compare me with Dhoni is a bit excessive. It is nothing else. You can not compare someone with him just by seeing one inning,” said Akbar,
who was greeted to a hero’s reception at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Wednesday evening.
He is being referred to as ‘Akbar The Great’ by the Bangladeshi cricket enthusiasts.
Akbar was named as the skipper of the Team of the tournament, which was picked jointly by the ICC, ESPNCricinfo and other leading media houses. Even though Akbar didn’t perform well individually at the highest competition in youth level cricket as the wicketkeeper-batsman just managed 69 runs in the competition, yet he is included in the list solely because of his ability to lead the side to World Cup victory.
Now it will be interesting to see whether Akbar can fulfill his potential with the senior team or not.
