Mushfiq the MAN....

nasifkhan · #1 October 24, 2003, 01:54 PM

Many of us ( i think most of us ) in this board have criticised the inclusion of Mushfiq in this test match. Mushfiq is just showed what guts & calibre he possess ...

He bowled very well too.... If he didnt take the important wcts of Nasser Hussain and Butcher.... it may have been a totally different story now.

what do you think guys...?? Is the inclusion of Mushfiq in this match is justified or not????

Zobair · #2 October 24, 2003, 01:55 PM

He has done right by me, by his coach, by his team...

Sham · #3 October 24, 2003, 02:00 PM

A lot of us were dead against Mushfiq playing. But he has proved us all wrong. His bowling was pretty good, but what has impressed me is his batting. In both the innings, he put a high value on his wicket. He has played very few false shots. I desperately hope he goes on to complete his 50 and score a few more. Well done Mushfiq!

oracle · #4 October 24, 2003, 02:16 PM

I confess. I was so skeptical about him.e I saw him as a barrier like sujon for younger talents to come forth. But now, (and also if he does score big tomorrow) everyone will credit him for handing us a victory on a plate.

**Mahmood** · #5 October 24, 2003, 02:36 PM

I worm heartedly thank Mushfiq to prove me wrong. If he continues this role, his place in the test side will be sealed for a long time.

I just hope El Capitan will prove me wrong someday.

rafiq · #6 October 24, 2003, 07:09 PM

Ok, I have a slightly different opinion. it may sound like sour grapes and it's not that I hate to admit I was wrong, it's just that I don't think I was wrong to criticize him based on the facts at the time.

of course mushfiq responded to criticism by performing. whenever a player performs, he will gain respect. But were we wrong to voice concern? I don't think so. His track record sucked, he scored ducks or something like that against england in the warm up, his bowling has never been top notch, then there was the worry that he was a Sujon Mini-Me. so what else is a fan to do but complain about this selection when you leave your #2 pacer out of the team?

mushfiq has simply done his job. do we go ga-ga when bashar scores a fifty anymore? if #6 is not going to stand up and fight then why is he on the team? for once mushfiq has delivered (already, he may deliver even more tomorrrow), and I hope he has more success in the future.

I know he took 2 wickets. But how many of you are convinced he should be the 2nd pacer ahead of others? If we now play enamul=rafique together depending on the wicket (it may be a crime not to play enamul even regardless of the wicket) then what happens to the pace department. I am just not satisfied with masri-mushfiq-sujon because I know it can be better, and it doesn't matter how many wickets mushfiq takes tomorrow (I hope he gets many).

The solution may of course be Sujon departing. Now I hope Sujon gets a 50 tomorrow as well.

Something has to give in this situation, even if we win tomorrow.

Sham · #7 October 24, 2003, 09:24 PM

You are right. We shouldn't have to apologize for being wrong about Mushfiq. His track record was pitiful. He averaged 3.33 in Test cricket prior to this Match and hadn't taken a single wicket in his three Tests. Add to that the fact that he did nothing spectacular to merit selection and we were justified in voicing our concerns over his selection.

But what Mushfiq has shown, and what we are going ga-ga over is the fact that what he lacks in talent, he makes up for with his apetite for a fight. In the first innings, he came in at 40 for 4 and really stuck it out, and in this innings he is doing the same. That is impressive!

I don't think his bowling is anything spectacular. Both Butcher (who misjudged the line) and Hussain (who drove without any footwork) have themselves to blame for getting out! The seam department can be better, there is no doubt about it. But like you suggested, we'll probably have to wait till the skipper calls it quits till we can put Tapash or Talha in there.

**Tehsin** · #8 October 25, 2003, 12:48 AM

It's one of those few times when you don't mind being wrong. This was a great (or should I say GRITTY) performance and hopefully he will continue to prove most of wrong.

fwullah · #9 October 25, 2003, 03:37 AM

I have never been so happy, as I have been on Mushfique.

You could say that it is a revolution for me.

I apologize for being ohongkari,

but I think I deserve to show a little ohongkar in this respect.

After all, it was me

who have been telling you guys that he is good, and it was always me who was arguing for him with you guys.

I always knew he had it in him, but just could not tell you with a stronger voice as he himself was not performing.

Anyway, his performance is now past, and I think that I have shown enough ohongkarityo over him.

Now we have to look into his future, and he needs to work on his game a lot more than he has shown.

For example, he does not have a good technique, and I doubt it whether he will be able to bat like the way he is batting now in Dhaka - in his familiar conditions in abroad test matches.

So he needs to work on his batting technique a lot.

Then I am not so sure that if he will be able to bowl like he did in this test match for many years to come in the future. He has faced a lot of injuries, which I guess were for his bowling, rather than for his batting.

So even though he is a good enough line and length bowler, it will not always be the case.

I wanna remind you guys of one thing - when Sujon was not the captain and was a much younger player, his bowling used to be useful - in one day cricket. But now look at Sujon's bowling now - its nothing.

Anyway, I agree with you guys on that part - Mushfique can replace a new ball bowler sometimes, but we do need 2 fast bowlers to open the bowling attack.

Mushfique has until now, merely replaced someone like Mohammad Ashraful or Sanwar Hossain in the test matches in batting department, but now we have a new worry on our hands - Alok Kapali.

fwullah · #10 October 25, 2003, 03:45 AM

By the way, I think this is for the first time - for a long time that a batsman coming in to bat at number 5 (Mushfique in the 2nd innings

) stayed unbeaten when Bangladesh innings finished, not a number seven wicket keeper Pilot, not any other bowler.

This is, I think a significant achievement, but Mushfique, along with the rest of the top and middle order batsman will also have to learn the batting style of Protecting the tail enders or the lower order batsman, particularly when he was well set, and batting at number five.

Since it was the first time that it happened, after a loong loong time for Bangladesh, one thing was striking was the Mushfique was giving the strike to Rafique on the 2nd ball of the over, so he was clearly not protecting Rafique, after watching Sujon going out.

rafiq · #11 October 25, 2003, 11:00 AM

on keeping the strike, I thought so, too. the last 3 wickets fell in 9 balls so he couldn't do much to keep the strike. I think early on - the first 5 overs - he could have kept the strilke more and actually scored some runs to get his 50 = that was a shame that he didn't.

With moniruzzaman, aftab and nafees knocking, mushfiq is going to have to produce at every match. he has things against him - age, perceived talent. So they will drop him like a hot cake when the young guns make a case.

If they don't change the team for the second test (guess Enamul is not going to Pak) then we are again without Tapash. But this team, if it applies itself, can force a draw in the second test and that's all I want.

why are you worried about kapali? he is just fine, did you see his first innings ? he got out poorly both times, so he needs to work on that.

fwullah · #12 October 25, 2003, 12:11 PM

I am not worried for Kapali on only this series - now only the 2nd test left.

I am more worried for him as to what he might do in the Zimbabwe tour. By the way, and I am making it a new topic - how many new players are going to Zimbabwe this time?

**Tehsin** · #13 October 25, 2003, 06:20 PM

He performs ONLY in LOCAL wickets consistently. He was never a big player, always a bit player who would do his thing, just like he did against England. however, he could only do it mostly in Dhaka wickets. Hopefully he will continue this in Chittagong but I have doubts about his performance in foriegn soil.

Sham · #14 October 26, 2003, 12:40 AM

It was actually Kapali who started the fightback in the first innings in case some of you guys hadn't noticed! He also scored more runs in the Test than Rajin and Javed, although Javed was very unlucky in the second innings. I dont know what happened to Kapali in the first innings, he did an extremely stupid thing to leave that ball, but look at the way he played Batty in the second innings. He came forward and met every ball. Just proves that he has learnt his lession. That is the type of player Kapali is. He hardly makes the same mistake twice. I don't think he is gonna try pulling a ball from outside off-stump anytime soon either. This guy can play man. Like Whatmore says, just wait till the day he realizes he talent!

samircreep · #15 October 26, 2003, 10:34 PM

We shouldn't berate oursleves too much over the success of Mushfique. As Shameran mentioned, us detractors had the right thought process when we tried to boot Mushfique off the team; if I could have turned back the clock, i would have said the exact same things. It's just that he came back with a great performance to make us eat our words. I just wish that more of our players would do the same.

I'm more worried about Mushfique's and Shujon's compatibility, or the lack thereof, in the test team. Both are supposed to play the same roles and the inclusion of both mean that we enter a test match lacking a genuine new ball bowler to partner Mash.As i mentioned in my article, that poses a serious problem.

Sami · #16 October 27, 2003, 09:51 AM

I would love to be proved wrong again and again if such performances are repeated...

rafiq · #17 October 27, 2003, 11:26 AM

Do you guys disagree that with Mushfiq and Sujon playing together, Bangladesh has the following if Mushfiq performs as well as he did in the first test:

- dependable bat at #6 who can provide resistance

- glaring weakness in the opening bowling as there is no genuine pacer other than mashrafee.

Dependability is at a premium for Bangladeshi batsmen right now. But the second issue means Mushfiq's inclusion is by no means sustainable over the long term.

[Edited on 27-10-2003 by rafiq]

fwullah · #18 October 27, 2003, 12:05 PM

Although I am a huge fan of Mushfique, I must admit it that he is only good in Bangladesh, in the next series, in Zimbabwe, if we keep both Mushfique and Sujon in our test team, then it will not be wise.

Although the Harare wicket is suitable for seam bowling and the Bulawayo wicket is a placid batting track, but we need players like a disciplined Mashrafee, or accurate Talha in our team to knock over the Zimbabwe batting order.

If we lack a specialist middle order batsman during February - March - like we are missing Ashraful - Sanwar now, then including Mushfique could be OK, but I doubt it as the Bangladesh Cricket Season will be finishing at about that time and we should, I repeat, we should get a proper middle order batsman in Mushfique's place.

But Mushfique can be in the test side and bring drinks to the likes of Javed and Hannan during the test series, i.e., be in the test team but not in the final eleven, unless someone is seriously injured or ill and Mushfique is the only other middle order bat around.