Mustafizur Rahman picked up three wickets against New Zealand today with two wickets coming with the new ball. Photo: Firoz Ahmed
Bangladesh paceman Mustafizur Rahman did not have any telling success with the new ball in recent times. In fact, his skills at the death over is what the team has needed for him, with the cutters and variations coming good in the end of the innings but there had been concern over his impact with the new ball. Today, operating with the new ball against New Zealand, Mustafizur made it difficult for the Kiwi top-order.
He got the ball to zip around and then in his fourth over, he slanted one across Kiwi opener Finn Allen. The ball hit the deck and took off, catching the edge of the bat with wicket-keeper Nurul Hasan diving to his right to take the catch. He would soon remove Chad Bowes, going across the right-handed batter again with Nurul once again taking the catch.
The extra bounce and movement from Fizz early in the innings was the most notable aspect of the game from Bangladesh’s perspective as the match was called off due to rain with New Zealand reaching 136 for 5 inn 33.4 overs.
Fizz finished with three for 27, having also taken the wicket of Henry Nicholls with one that darted in to the left-hander.
Bangladesh assistant coach Nic Pothas was happy with Mustafizur’s effort with the new ball following the left-arm speedster’s work with pace-bowling coach Allan Donald. Known as a death over specialist, his contribution with the new ball could be handy for the Tigers at the World Cup.
“Yeah very tidy. You know Fizz has been working very hard the last month or so to try and find some rhythm. We know his credentials bowling at the death. You can ask him to wake up at 3 o’clock in the morning and bowl death overs and he will do them with the best in the world. He has just been trying to get back some rhythm with the new ball and he has worked very very hard himself along with Allan Donald and you can see the fruits. Just coming good at the right time just before the World Cup. Very happy for him,” Pothas said in a press conference today.
Was the transition from cutters and yorkers to seam and swing a difficult challenge? Pothas believes that professional players have to be able to take on various roles.
“No they [new ball and death over roles] are very specific, those two roles. They are almost living in two different boxes. It’s no different from a batsman playing a particular type of innings and having to do range hitting at the end. So these guys are professionals and have to be able to do everything. He does it and prioritises that very well. He’s got a lot of experience,” he said about Fizz.
