Mushfiqur Rahim

Mushfiqur Rahim

Personal information
Full name	Mohammad Mushfiqur Rahim
Born	(1988-09-01) September 1, 1988 Bogra, Bangladesh
Height	5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)
Batting style	Right-handed
Role	Wicket-keeper
International information
National side	Bangladesh
Test debut (cap 41)	26 May 2005 v England
Last Test	21 October 2013 v New Zealand
ODI debut (cap 80)	6 August 2006 v Zimbabwe
Last ODI	3 November 2013 v New Zealand
ODI shirt no.	15
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2006	Rajshahi Division
2007	Sylhet Division
2008–	Rajshahi Division
2012	Duronto Rajshahi
2012	Nagenahira Nagas
2013–	Sylhet Royals
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 36 122 67 162 Runs scored 2,078 2,449 3,543 3,843 Batting average 32.46 26.33 33.42 31.50 100s/50s 2/12 1/12 4/22 3/21 Top score 200 101 200 145* Balls bowled – – 60 – Wickets – – 1 – Bowling average – – 23.00 – 5 wickets in innings – – 0 – 10 wickets in match – n/a 0 n/a Best bowling – – 1/23 – Catches/stumpings 60/10 89/34 114/17 128/50
Source: CricketArchive, 28 November 2013

Mohammad Mushfiqur Rahim (Bengali: মোহাম্মদ মুশফিকুর রহিম) (born 1 September 1988) is a Bangladeshi cricketer and is the captain of the national team. He made his Test debut in 2005, at the age of 16, during Bangladesh's first tour of England and the next year played his first One Day International. Between August 2009 and December 2010 Rahim served as Bangladesh's vice-captain. Standing 5 feet 3 inches (1.60 m) tall,^[2] he specialises as a wicket-keeper and is a lower-order batsman. At domestic level he represents Rajshahi Division and captains Sylhet Royals. He also scored the first double century in test for Bangladesh Cricket Team in history.

Personal life

Mohammad Mushfiqur Rahim was born on 1 September 1988 to Mahbub Habib and Rahima Khatun.^[3] In between playing cricket, Rahim studied history at the Jahangirnagar University.Formerly, He finished his school life from Bogra Zilla School^[4] He was due to miss the exams for his Master's degree in April 2012 as they clashed with Bangladesh's scheduled tour of Pakistan,^[5] however the tour was postponed and Rahim allowed to sit the exams.^[6][7]

Career

Before playing for the senior national team, Rahim played for Bangladesh Under-19s. He represented them in three Youth Tests and 18 Youth One Day Internationals (ODIs) between 2004 and 2006, averaging 31.75 and 36.00 with the bat in the respective formats. His only half-century in the Tests came against England.^[8][9] Rahim trained at the Bangladesh Institute of Sports. His coach there, Mohammad Salahuddin, praised his hard work, commenting:

"He comes from one of the most reputed and affluent families of his district. He could have had all the comfort in the world. Instead, he has decided to shape his life through hard work. His work ethic is exemplary, and he is absolutely single-minded about pursuing his goals – being successful in cricket and career. Mind you, he is academically very sound too. We have had individuals who have been far more talented than Rahim. But some have fallen by the wayside while others have not made the next leap forward. That is why he is different. He has not got distracted and hasn't lost focus. His level of determination is much higher than the average trainee and he carries himself with dignity. He is very polite and disciplined. You won't hear anything negative about him from anyone here."^[10]

Lord's Cricket Ground, where Rahim at the age of 16 years and 267 days he became the youngest cricketer to make a Test at the ground.^[1]

Mushfiqur was selected for Bangladesh's tour of England in May and June 2005. In what was Bangladesh's first tour of England, the team faced unfamiliar conditions and the batsmen struggled against seam bowling. Mushfiqur adapted his batting style in the warm up matches, "consistently playing late and straight" according to Wisden, and managed to score 63 against Sussex and a career best 115 not out against Northamptonshire in the warm up matches. Although initially named in the squad as understudy for the wicket-keeping position, Mushfiqur's performances in the warm up matches led to his selection for the first Test at Lord's as a specialist batsman. The 16-year-old scored 19 in the first innings and was one of just three batsman to reach double figures as Bangladesh were dismissed for 108. After twisting his ankle, Mushfiqur played no further part in the tour.^[11]

Rahim batting against England in a Test at Lord's in May 2010.

During the 2006 U-19 Cricket World Cup, hosted by Sri Lanka in February, Rahim captained the Bangladesh side which included future international players Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal among others. Rahim was one of two players at the tournament with Test-match experience.^[12] Under his guidance Bangladesh reached the quarter finals of the tournament.^[13] Later that month Rahim was recalled to the senior Test squad for the first time since the England tour in 2005. He was selected as a specialist batsmen, with Khaled Mashud chosen as the wicket-keeper for the series against Sri Lanka.^[14]

Rahim was included in Bangladesh's senior squad to tour Zimbabwe for five ODIs in July 2006. He was one of three uncapped ODI players included in the squad alongside all-rounders Farhad Reza and Shakib Al Hasan.^[15] He scored his maiden half-century at Harare against Zimbabwe and was picked as the first-choice wicket-keeper ahead of Mashud for the World Cup in the West Indies. Rahim was chosen because his batting was considered better.^[16]

Rahim was recalled for the second Test against Sri Lanka in July 2007, replacing Mashud as it was felt that Rahim was in better form.^[17] Although Bangladesh lost by an innings and 90 runs, Rahim combined with Mohammad Ashraful – the new captain – to score a record 191 for Bangladesh's sixth-wicket partnership.^[18][19] Mushfiqur scored 80, beating his previous best score in Tests of 19.^[20] In December 2007, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) granted Rahim a one-year grade B (third tier) contract, one of 22 central contracts with the Board at the time.^[21]

Following the World Cup, Rahim endured a series of poor scores, including five innings in which he amassed four runs altogether.^[22] As a result when South Africa toured in March for three ODIs and Bangladesh went to Pakistan for five ODIs the next month, Rahim was dropped in favour of Dhiman Ghosh. Rahim was recalled to the squad for a tri-series with Pakistan and India and the 2008 Asia Cup.^[23] When 17 contracts were announced in April 2009, Rahim's was renewed,^[24] marking Rahim as Bangladesh's first choice 'keeper.

Vice-captaincy

Rahim keeping wicket against England at Old Trafford in 2010

Rahim was appointed vice-captain for Bangladesh's tour of Zimbabwe in August 2009. The position was vacated as the previous holder, Shakib Al Hasan, was filling-in as captain for the injured Mashrafe Mortaza.^[25] Bangladesh won the five match ODI series4–1, and in the final fixture Rahim scored 98, beating his previous highest score in list A matches of 58, to help his team to victory.^[26][27] With 169 runs in the series at an average of 56.33, Rahim was Bangladesh's fourth-highest run scorer.^[28]

Rahim retained the vice-captaincy for the Home Test Series against India in January and February 2010, and on 21 January, the fifth day of the first Test, he scored his maiden Test century and the fastest by a Bangladeshi in Test cricket, off only 112 balls as Bangladesh delayed an Indian victory, being the last man out as India won by 113 runs. England toured Bangladesh in February and March for two Tests and three ODIs.^[29] Bangladesh lost all five match.^[30][31] Rahim at least had a successful series and was his team's second-highest run-scorer in the ODIs and Tests.^[32][33] Rahim scored two half-centuries in the first Test, becoming the 6th Bangladesh batsman to perform the feat.^[34] Having impressed at home, Rahim's performance in the return tour in England in May was expected to be crucial to how well Bangladesh performed.^[35] In the event, he could manage just 40 runs from two Tests as Bangladesh's batsmen struggled in English conditions and slumped to a 2–0 defeat.^[36] The teams were due to face each other in a three-match ODI series after the Tests. In the first fixture Rahim was struck in the face while keeping wicket to spinner Faisal Hossain. An x-ray revealed no fractures, however as a precaution he was rested for a week, missing the rest of the series.^[37]

At the start of November, the BCB announced 16 central contracts. Rahim was one of six players in the top level.^[38] Later that month, Rahim recorded his best score in a one day match. Playing for Rajshahi in the National Cricket League, he scored 114 from 120 deliveries as his team lost by 8 runs.^[39] In December 2010, Tamim Iqbal replaced Rahim as Bangladesh's vice-captain.^[40] Rahim was included in Bangladesh's 15-man squad for the 2011 World Cup.^[41] Bangladesh were knocked out in the group stage and Rahim had a poor tournament personally. There were suggestions that he could be dropped, especially as fellow wicket-keeper Dhiman Ghosh was scoring heavily in Bangladesh's domestic competition.^[42] In August 2011, Mushfiqur hit 101 from 100 balls having his second century against Zimbabwe was not enough to stop Bangladesh losing the third one-day series by five runs.^[43]

National captain

On 20 September 2011, Rahim was named Bangladesh captain, taking over from Shakib Al Hasan after a disappointing tour of Zimbabwe. The announcement was made midway through the BCB Cup, a tournament involving the senior Bangladesh team, Bangladesh A, and a side made up of academy players. Rahim had already been captaining Bangladesh in the tournament on a temporary basis.^[47] The competition was won by Bangladesh A.^[48]

Bangladesh's next international engagement was hosting the West Indies in October for a T20I, three ODIs, and two Tests. In his first international match as captain, Rahim produced a Man-of-the-Match performance, scoring 41 not out from 26 balls to help his team to victory with one delivery to spare in the only T20I.^[49] Bangladesh lost the ODI series 2–1 and Rahim was his team's leading run-scorer with 100, including an innings of 69.^[50] The following month, Pakistan toured for three ODIs and two Tests. Bangladesh lost the ODI series 3–0, and Rahim managed just 12 runs from three innings.^[51]

The Bangladesh Cricket Board founded the six-team Bangladesh Premier League in 2012, a twenty20 tournament to be held in February that year. The BCB made Mushfiq the 'icon player' for Duronto Rajshahi.^[52] Under his leadership Duronto overcame a weak start to progress to the semi-finals where they lost to Barisal Burners; Rahim contributed 234 runs from 11 matches.^[53] In the 2012 Asia Cup, under Rahim's captaincy, Bangladesh won two out of the three games they have played and reached the final for the first time where they lost to Pakistan in the final. In April his grade A+ central contract was renewed.^[54] On 11 March 2013,during the 1st test of the tour of Sri Lanka in Galle, Rahim became the first Bangledeshi to score a double hundred, beating the previous highest of 190 set by Mohammed Ashraful earlier in the day.

Mushfiqur announced his resignation as captain on the 8 May 2013,^[55] but a few days later Mushfiqur announced he had made a "mistake", and on the 3 July 2013 the BCB announced they would be retaining Mushfiqur as captain until the end of the year.^[56]5

Playing style

According to Jamie Siddons in 2010, then the Bangladesh coach, Rahim's batting is so versatile that he can bat anywhere in the top order, from one to six.^[57]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mushfiqur Rahim.

• CricketArchive stats
• Cricinfo player profile

v t e Bangladesh squad – 2007 Cricket World Cup 2 Mashrafe Mortaza 5 Javed Omar 7 Habibul Bashar (c) 15 Mushfiqur Rahim (w) 19 Tapash Baisya 29 Tamim Iqbal 35 Rajin Saleh 41 Abdur Razzak 42 Shahriar Nafees 47 Syed Rasel 59 Shahadat Hossain 75 Shakib Al Hasan 76 Farhad Reza 77 Mohammad Rafique 97 Aftab Ahmed 98 Mohammad Ashraful Coach: Whatmore

v t e Bangladesh squad – 2011 Cricket World Cup 1 Shakib Al Hasan (c) 2 Tamim Iqbal 3 Imrul Kayes 4 Junaid Siddique 5 Shahriar Nafees 6 Raqibul Hasan 7 Mohammad Ashraful 8 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk) 9 Naeem Islam 10 Mahmudullah 11 Abdur Razzaq 12 Rubel Hossain 13 Shafiul Islam 14 Nazmul Hossain 15 Suhrawadi Shuvo Coach: Siddons