Mushfiqur Rahim: Crucial cog in Bangla wheel

Mushfiqur Rahim doesn’t have the flair of opener Tamim Iqbal nor does he have the presence of all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, but he remains Bangladesh’s crucial cog as wicketkeeper-batsman.

If he is good behind the wickets (169 catches and 42 stumpings from 204 ODIs) he is even more impressive in front of them as his over 7000 runs at an average of 34.94 prove. Having made his ODI debut as a precocious 16-year-old, Mushfiqur has been one of Bangladesh cricket’s greatest servants. He is also just one of five wicketkeeper-batsmen with 5000 runs in ODIs.

Mushfiqur, along with the likes of Shakib, Tamim and Mashrafe Mortaza, has played crucial roles in Bangladesh’s progress as a side with great potential. From once being part of the whipping boys of world cricket to being a member of a side that has dared to look the top teams in their eyes, Mushfiqur’s growth as a cricketer has almost overlapped with Bangladesh’s progress.

As he prepares to play his fourth and final World Cup, Bangla will be banking on the senior player to produce his best on the biggest stage of them all. The diminutive right-hander has developed into Bangla’s crisis man, anchoring and accelerating innings with equal ease.

"This may be our last World Cup together if Mashrafe (Mortaza) bhai is unable to play the next World Cup. We all want to do something special, at least for Mashrafe bhai," Mushfiqur told the ICC website.

"Everyone wants to do well in a big event, I think I’m no exception. I have played three World Cups and scored runs for my country. It’s going to be my fourth World Cup. I’ll try to do something remarkable. I'll be playing in the event to surpass all the previous records of mine. As a batsman, I’ll try to help the team according to my experience."