Mushfiqur Rahim: Bangladesh’s legendary ODI anchor
As I start writing this, Mushfiqur Rahim has already produced another game-transforming knock for Bangladesh. The experienced and stoic right-hand batsman has set Bangladesh on path to a fighting total past 250 against Sri Lanka with a well-compiled knock of 84 from 87 deliveries in Dhaka.
It was Mushfiqur’s 46th score of 50 or above in ODIs. His 43rd as a designated keeper. Since his debut back in 2006, only two other glovemen – Kumar Sangakkara (80) and MS Dhoni (73) – have struck more fifty-plus scores in the 50-over version. No active wicketkeeper-batsman has more fifties to his name than Mushfiqur Rahim in ODIs right now.
Mushfiqur has now contributed nearly 6,000 runs as a wicketkeeper-batsman to Bangladesh’s tally in ODI cricket alone. No other active wicketkeeper has that many runs to his name in the 50-over format right now.
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Mushfiqur Rahim: Bangladesh’s legendary ODI anchor
Batting and keeping together is undoubtedly one of cricket’s most demanding jobs, an arduous task for which you’re having to extend your training time and then can’t also afford to drop your guard at any stage during a game in either department. The physical and mental toll it takes is enormous. Plus with the extensive analysis and scrutiny, the thankless job has only gotten that much harder over time.
Mushfiqur Rahim has been doing this thankless job for more than a decade and a half now for Bangladesh, who have been strugglers more than winners through Rahim’s journey. Bangladesh have won only 49 and lost 100 of the 154 ODIs that Rahim has played against top 8 sides. In those 154 ODIs, Rahim has made 4,584 runs at an average of 36.67 with a strike-rate of 78.80. Among those with at least 1,000 runs in those matches, only one player – Shakib Al Hasan (38.00) has a better average than our man.
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Rahim has been a valiant fighter in losses for Bangladesh and also an instrumental figure in their wins. In those rare 49 wins he has been involved in versus traditional top 8 opposition, Mushfiqur Rahim has made 1,719 runs with an average a shade below 50 and at a strike-rate of nearly 90. We seldom give Rahim the credit he deserves for piling on a record as impressive as he has for a significantly weaker international team.
In the last five years, since the 2015 World Cup, Mushfiqur Rahim has only taken his game to another level and is averaging 52.36 in ODIs at a strike-rate of 86.68 from 61 matches against top 8 teams. Mushfiqur’s strong work as a middle-order anchor has often been undone by Bangladesh’s inability to produce strong power-hitters down the order, but he hasn’t let that affect his own game and has been doing his anchoring duties as commendably as ever.
Globally, among middle-order batsmen (position 4-7) with at least 2,000 runs in matches involving the top 9 sides (including Bangladesh) since the 2015 World Cup, Mushfiqur is only fourth in the list of run-makers and has only one other batsman averaging higher than him – Ross Taylor (62.31).
The likes of Taylor and other gents in that list are players from more flourishing set-ups, where there isn’t any shortage of talent pipeline and able hands to shoulder their burden. In Mushfiqur’s case, he, along with Shakib and Tamim Iqbal, are often having to carry most of their team’s responsibility.
When Bangladesh defeated India in that historic Group B encounter of the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean, Shakib, Tamim, Mashrafe and Mushfiqur emerged as their nation’s unlikely, boyhood heroes. What stood out about the other three is their unquestionable natural talent and skill that you felt, if horned with dedication and determination, could take them a long way.
For Mushfiqur Rahim, it was expected the journey would be harder, with him not being one blessed with as much natural talent. It is through sheer hardwork, temperament, resilience and defiance that Rahim has kept overcoming his limitations and has become one of Bangladesh’s strongest pillars, their legendary ODI anchor.