‘I will never forget this moment’

Bangladesh all-rounder Mehedi Hasan Miraz, the instrumental figure in the Tiger's monumental 2-0 sweep over Pakistan, was overcome with joy after being named the player-of-the-series, saying he will 'never forget this moment'.

"I'm really happy, first time I have got a Man of the Series award away from home. I will never forget this moment," Miraz said after Bangladesh defeated Pakistan by six wickets in the second Test in Rawalpindi today.

Miraz was a key figure in both of Bangladesh's victories in the series. In the first Test, he hit a crucial 77 and formed a record 196-run stand with Mushfiqur Rahim for the eighth wicket and then took four wickets with the ball in the second innings to set up a 30-run target for the Tigers, which they chased down with 10 wickets in hand.

In the second Test, Miraz first claimed a five-wicket haul in the first innings to help bundle out Pakistan for 274 and then formed the most crucial partnership of the match alongside Liton Das, who made 138, a 165-run stand for the seventh wicket after Bangladesh were teetering on 26-6, and helped to keep the deficit to 12.

His all-round contributions in both matches rescued Bangladesh from tough situations and set them up for a historic series win.

"It is a tough job playing as an all-rounder, but I just wanted to rotate strike and enjoy batting with Mushfiqur [Rahim] and Liton Das. Really happy that I got five wickets, will try to bowl even better.

"I didn't play the T20 World Cup, I had some time back home and credit goes to the management back home and the efforts they have put in. The team is very happy with my performance, they keep supporting me. This is one of the most happiest moments for me."

In a message to the fans in Bangla, Miraz also said that he will donate the prize money he won as the player-of-the-series to a rickshaw-puller's family who recently lost his life after sustaining injuries during the student-led people's movement in Bangladesh.