How Underrated Mushfiqur Rahim Is, In International Cricket?

Cricket Image for How Underrated Mushfiqur Rahim Is, In International Cricket? (Image Source: AFP)

Mushfiqur Rahim on Sunday scored an 87-ball 84 against Sri Lanka to help Bangladesh end their 10-match losing streak. 

How often have we seen this happening now? Rahim taking up the responsibility to help his team out of misery. He has been the batting mainstay of Bangladesh for more than a decade and a half. 

It was in 2005 when Rahim was called on the test team as a teenager in the testing conditions of England. The 17-year-old, who was yet to play the under-19 World Cup, had a glimpse of what he will be doing for Bangladesh for the rest of his career when he scored 63 and 115 in two warmup matches. He got picked to play at Lord's on his test debut where he was among the three batters who reached the double-figure mark as Bangladesh was skittled for 108. 

His ability to adapt to the conditions well helped him get picked up consistently in the national team. Although his performances got better each year individually but as a team, Bangladesh remained sluggish in achieving success. 

Bangladesh's best chance to prove themselves as a strong team was in the ODI setup where Mushfiqur Rahim starred. He has been their mainstay, the anchor, a proper middle-order batter who has versatility in his game. 

Since his debut, Rahim has constantly been played at number 4,5, and 6 spots where he can play according to the situation. At number 4, Rahim has amassed 5123 runs at an average of 37.14 across all formats. His second-best position to bat has been at number 6 where he has scored 3312 runs at an average of more than 33. Since Rahim's debut, only two batters - MS Dhoni and Angelo Mathews - have scored more than him while batting at number 6 across all formats. 

Being a wicket-keeper batter is a thankless job especially in Test Cricket, and to consistently contribute to the team's cause in three formats is a next-level job. Rahim, as the pillar he is for Bangladesh, has been the third-best wicket-keeper batter across all formats since 2005. 

In 348 matches, the 34-year-old has scored 10626 runs at an average of 33.2 in 375 innings he has batted as a designated wicket-keeper. He is only bettered by MS Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara. Interestingly, when we look at all the wicketkeepers combined, he only slips to the fourth spot from the third. 

He is already a Bangladeshi legend along with two of his under-19 teammates Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan, however, his whole career took place to build a team and save it every time it came close to a disaster, never getting a chance to get into the books of people looking for international stars. Maybe he is still playing a fighting knock for his team back in 2005 and trying to do everything to get the scoreboard ticking. 

In all the Dhonis and Sangakkaras of the world, cricket also has a Mushfiqur Rahim and it is high time people applaud for the work he has done for Bangladesh cricket and cricket in general.