‘Missing out on contract a blessing in disguise’

DHAKA: Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman believes that missing out on a national red-ball contract can be a blessing in disguise for him as it proves he ought to improve in the coming days to be counted again in the same league as his teammates.

Mustafizur, who had been considered the country’s most talented pace bowler across formats only a few years ago, had a reality check in the recent past after being axed from the Test contract list.

The left-armer last played a Test match in New Zealand in March 2019 and since then hasn’t been able to make it into Bangladesh’s playing XI.

His demotion to B category in the white-ball national contract only indicates all is not well with him and Mustafizur admitted it without any hesitation.

“It’s good for me because now I’ve understood that I need to improve as I will not be able to make it in the team with what I have,” Mustafizur told reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

“Now I will try to improve so that I can take my bowling to the next level and so that I can play in all formats.

“I can make a comeback in the Test team only if my hands start to work better. Now I am trying something new because now everyone knows about me. At first they didn’t know about me and I could easily get a wicket but now it has been a bit difficult for me,” he added. Mustafizur added that he fails to find success on foreign soil largely because he does not get the help that he receives on home pitches, and added that now he lacks confidence in his trademark yorker.

“The ball grips well on home wickets but outside it is not same while the off-cutter changes its direction quite well at home but that is not the case elsewhere,” Mustafizur said.