The head coach of Bangladesh, Chandika Hathurusingha, hinted that Mustafizur Rahman, the country’s best left-arm pace bowler, will have to demonstrate his skill set in order to secure a spot in the playing eleven.
The left-arm fast bowler, who was selected by Hathurasingha after noticing him in the nets, was regarded as an automatic selection for the national team’s white-ball format since his debut, barring injuries.
However, this was not the case during the home series against Ireland, as he was excused after the first match of the three-match ODI series and was subsequently dropped for the final T20I.
Hathurusingha believed openers should use field restrictions and bat precisely.
In the past, Mustafizur’s form had been a major concern for the Bangladesh team management, and his failure to get a regular game for Delhi Capitals in the ongoing Indian Premier League only highlighted the fact that the pacer needs to pull up his socks in order to retain his place in Bangladesh’s white-ball format. The rise of other pace bowlers such as Ebadot Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, and Taskin Ahmed only makes the competition tougher for Mustafizur.
“When you don’t play, it’s difficult to tell if you’re in form or out of form,” Hathurusingha told reporters at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Saturday after concluding an intensive three-day camp ahead of the three ODIs against Ireland, scheduled from May 9-14 in Chelmsford.
“He (Mustafizur) hasn’t played much, but when he has, he’s done his job well for the team,” he said. “Therefore, I must observe how he performs when he returns from the IPL,” he said.
“The initiates must make the most of this field restriction. If you’re batting in the middle, you’re sometimes facing four outs or five outs (fielders), so it’s essential to determine how you want to begin. Therefore, if you do not perform this in the desired manner before entering the middle, you will be sucked into the undesirable situation. We want them to remember who they have always been, regardless of the circumstances,” he said.
Hathurasingha emphasized maintaining this attitude throughout.
“We will play aggressive, positive cricket. It does not imply that every ball will be struck out of the park. Aggressive cricket is characterized by a very positive, aggressive attitude and decision-making in everything we do. Additionally, it will be aggressive in terms of field placement and the type of ball we decide to use, so we want to give them the freedom to express themselves, he said.