Mustafizur seeks to live up to expectations

DHAKA: Mustafizur Rahman, the Bangladesh paceman, said he has always had to deal with ‘extra responsibility’, but is hoping his trademark off-cutters can help him make his mark at his first ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019.

Mustafizur has had a stunning rise in cricket since his international debut after the 2015 World Cup — when he picked up 11 wickets in his first two ODIs, against India — but a number of injuries have since stunted his progress.

Currently, he is nursing an ankle injury he picked up during the Dhaka Premier League, but Mustafizur, who was one of the 15 named in Bangladesh’s World Cup squad on Tuesday doesn’t want to hurry his return.

“It’s normal to feel the pain,” he told Cricbuzz. “But there is no need to hurry because there are many days to go. There are breaks between the matches. I hope there won’t be any problem. Injuries are uncertain. You can get injured at any time.”

Mustafizur will be one of Bangladesh’s big hopes in conditions that will favour him at the World Cup. That does place some “extra responsibility” on him, but having dealt with it in previous global events, Mustafizur isn’t fazed.

“I played in Twenty20 World Cup before, but this is going to be my first ODI World Cup. I always had extra responsibility,” he said. “Everyone expects from me, so I always have more responsibilities. I always try to give my best because everyone has expectation from me.” — icc-cricket.com