Dawid Malan Reflects on Bench Time and Performance in BPL

English batter Dawid Malan, who joined the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) to play for the star-studded Fortune Barishal, found himself on the bench initially, expressing his disappointment at not getting to play despite having turned down other T20 league opportunities. However, when he finally got the chance to play against Khulna Tigers, he made a remarkable impact, scoring 63 runs off 37 balls.

Speaking in a post-match press conference, Malan shared his thoughts on the bench situation. He said, "The thing is, I chose BPL over other leagues. I had other offers as well, but I turned them down to come here. Initially, I was a bit disappointed about not getting a chance to play. But in terms of training, there are plenty of opportunities. If you can make use of them, more opportunities will come. That’s what I knew. It has paid off. You have to keep the right mindset and perform when you get the chance."

When asked about his preferred batting position, whether as an opener or at number three, Malan responded, "I prefer opening. That’s what I’ve done throughout my career. But as a foreign player, you have to play according to the team's needs. Whether it's opening or batting at 3 or 4, I tell all teams that to get the best out of me, I should open. However, I have no objection to batting at 3."

The ongoing BPL season has seen some controversy over payment issues, with players not receiving their salaries as per franchise agreements. Malan addressed this issue, saying, "I can only comment on my own team. This team is fantastic. Whatever the tournament, the basics must be in place. Our job is to play, and someone else's job is to pay us. That’s why we have so many leagues. I hope this won’t be an issue going forward. It's a simple matter. If someone has the money, they can form a team; if not, they can't. That's how it should work. We have no issues with the foreign players, at least not so far. I hope that continues."

Praising Tamim Iqbal’s captaincy, Malan said, "He’s been great. I’ve played against him a lot in cricket. Before the match, he said a few words, which he doesn’t usually do. Today he asked me if I liked the match-up. There were no meetings or team officials. When we do talk, it's always about the important things. Many other teams do things differently. Here, there are a lot of experienced players, and it’s his job to manage them well, which he’s doing brilliantly."