February 29, 2024

Mushfiqur: Prioritize Fitness and Performance, Not Age – Bangladesh Premier League

“Didn’t you say before [the BPL] that Barishal is the team of the old ?”  Mushfiqur responds after they reach the final.

Mushfiqur Rahim has responded to criticism of Bangladesh’s senior cricketers, emphasizing that successful T20 teams need the experience of seasoned players just as much as the boldness of youth.

Some Information About Mushfiqur Rahim

One of Bangladesh’s longest-serving and most accomplished cricketers, wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim, began his international career as a wild-card inclusion for the team’s maiden tour of England in 2005 at just 18 years old. During this tour, he became the youngest player to appear in a Test match at Lord’s. Mushfiqur captained the Under-19 World Cup Team in February 2006 and played in a Test in Bogra the following month. However, he struggled against the spin of Murali and Malinga Bandara. His first Test fifty came during the return tour of Sri Lanka in 2007. He was selected as the first-choice wicketkeeper for the World Cup in the West Indies, where he played a crucial role in Bangladesh’s landmark victory over India, scoring an unbeaten 56 to anchor the chase of 192.

Mushfiqur established himself as a Test batter in the 2010s, moving to No. 4 and shedding his reputation as a lower-order scrapper. He became a dependable mainstay in the team, known for his ability to play spin well. His first Test century, the fastest by a Bangladesh batter, came against India in Chattogram in 2010. He followed this with impressive performances against England. Mushfiqur was appointed captain in 2011 after a series of defeats in Zimbabwe, leading the team through 94 internationals until 2018. Highlights of his captaincy include Bangladesh’s first appearance in an Asia Cup final in 2012 and a whitewash of Zimbabwe in a Test series at home in 2014. Over the years, Mushfiqur has achieved several milestones, including scoring double-centuries against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, becoming the first wicketkeeper-batter to achieve two Test double-centuries, and being the first Bangladesh wicketkeeper to reach 100 dismissals in Tests. In the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), he became the first player to reach 100 matches in 2023 and has consistently been one of the tournament’s leading run-scorers.

Mushfiqur, 36, highlighted Fortune Barishal’s success. Barishal secured a spot in the BPL 2024 final after defeating Rangpur Riders in the second Qualifier on Wednesday. In addition to Mushfiqur, Barishal’s squad includes two other players over 35—Mahmudullah (37) and Shoaib Malik (41). All three veterans have made significant contributions throughout the season.

“Didn’t you say before the tournament that Barishal is the ‘team of the old’?”Mushfiqur stated.  “Didn’t you say that T20s can’t be won with experience? I think this is a wrong concept. You need experience in every format. New players will come, the older ones will go, but they will combine well to build the team. We want to leave a legacy, and we want the likes of [Towhid] Hridoy and Tamim [Tanzid Hasan] to leave a legacy when they become senior players [for Bangladesh]. It is supposed to be smooth sailing.”

Mushfiqur emphasized that fitness and performance should take priority over age when evaluating players.

“It [the criticism] doesn’t motivate me,’’  he remarked. “It hurts me. I can guarantee you that I am better than most players in terms of fitness. I can write it down. More than age, I think the criteria should be fitness and performance. Age is just a number.”

All three encounters this season between Barishal and Rangpur were framed as clashes between Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal, with both players receiving boos from the crowd on several occasions. Their differences first emerged last year when BCB president Nazmul Hassan revealed that Shakib and Tamim were not on speaking terms. The situation intensified when Tamim was unretired and resigned from the ODI captaincy, prompting Shakib to criticize him in a TV interview.

“They both deserved better,” Mushfiqur commented. “To be honest, if the limelight is on the two players, then the rest of us can relax. They will have their ‘war’, and we will watch. They are both legends. They have given a lot to Bangladesh cricket. This ‘bhua bhua’ [a form of booing in Bengali] chant, if they have to hear it, the rest of us should be buried in the ground.”

Mushfiqur expressed his satisfaction with Bangladeshi players leading the BPL batting and bowling charts.

“It is a positive sign. The top five run-getters and [four of the top five] wicket-takers are all from Bangladesh. Such consistency doesn’t happen by chance. If we can deliver in crunch moments, it means we have cool nerves. Such a thing is helpful for the cricketer and his team.’’

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