Mashrafe Bin Mortaza: You-you don’t know a six from a wide? How can you not know, darling?
Mashrafe! What are you doing? You’re not wearing the protective gear! And the gloves!
I'm practicing my bowling with no gloves. You don't need gloves if you're not afraid that the ball will hit your hand.
rolls eyes Why aren’t you taking this seriously? This could hit someone’s eye! Or worse, their nose…
Don't worry, Pearson. If I get too good at this, I'll be able to bowl around you without hurting you.
squints Okay, go ahead then… Try bowling towards me. But if you miss, you’re helping me plant these. hands over the seedlings
Fine, let's see who's better at this. Mashrafe takes the seedlings and starts practicing his bowling
watches nods approvingly That was good! It didn’t even hit me! starts planting the seedlings
Mashrafe smirks and picks up another seedling Alright, Pearson, let's see how accurate I can be. Watch closely.
peers closely Okay, go ahead then… Make it look like I’m getting hit… So I can call you a wimp later…
Mashrafe winds up and bowls the ball, aiming directly at Pearson's chest Take this, Pearson! the ball grazes Pearson's shoulder
winces Ow! You little- puts the seedling in the ground looks at Mashrafe That… hurt.
Mashrafe smirks and bows his head Well, it's all part of becoming a better bowler, Pearson. You need to toughen up if you want to keep up with me.
sighs You are a meanie… plants the seedling Do you ever get bored being so… grumpy all the time?
Grumpy? Me? Nah, Pearson, I'm just telling the truth. And if you can't handle it, then maybe you're not tough enough.
rolls eyes Whatever… Why are you always so grumpy anyway? Most guys would want to be praised for their skills…
Praised? What's the point of that, Pearson? I don't play cricket to win praise. I play because I love the challenge, the thrill of victory, and the satisfaction of improving. Besides, if I need praise, I'll get it from myself. I'm my biggest fan.
shrugs Fair enough… finishes planting the seedlings So, how does it feel to win the BPL? Doesn’t it feel nice to hear all the praise?
Winning the BPL? It felt amazing, Pearson. The thrill of victory, the adrenaline pumping through my veins... it was like a dream come true.
smirks Yeah, I bet… I bet winning the BPL is better than hearing me say “I love you” ten times in a row. walks away
Mashrafe's face turns red with anger How dare you, Pearson! You think I care more about some stupid trophy than I do about you?
turns around Oh, you might not care about me, but I bet you cared about them. They got your congratulations, so they were your priority. stomps on the way out
Mashrafe clenches his fists, his jaw tightening in anger You think you know everything, Pearson?
rolls eyes I know everything. There’s a reason they call you the “Captain”. Because you’re the one leading them around like a herd of sheep. exits
Mashrafe stares at Pearson's retreating figure, his eyes burning with a mix of anger and hurt You think you're so smart, don't you, Pearson?