Perth, Australia: Shaiman Anwar is struggling to come to terms with the excitement of having scored a century in the World Cup.
On the UAE team’s arrival in Perth on Thursday, he described the moments since his record-breaking innings of 106 against Ireland in Brisbane on Wednesday.
“It has been more than 24 hours since I got my century but till now I have hardly been able to put my mobile down. Everyone is calling me from Dubai and Pakistan. Frankly I did not have any idea that this century would be so special,” he said.
Anwar added that just to play in the World Cup was his only dream.
“Getting a century has made it even more special. Frankly it was just a normal game for me, but I never thought scoring a century in a World Cup would elicit such a response. Now I have an idea how big this event is. I wish everyone does well so that they can experience what I am experiencing now,” he said.
“I realised that if you hit a century in the World Cup, the entire world will watch you. It is a huge platform. I did not have any idea until two days ago how big it can get.
“I tell my teammates, it is a great opportunity, enjoy it and perform, then you will see what kind of response and respect you get. The next match is almost here [against India on Saturday] and now the expectations on me have increased. I will try to do my best to carry this forward.”
