After a disappointing World T20 campaign, one Bangladeshi stood out. Mustafizur Rahman was the sole bright spark as the Tigers fell well short of expectations. For the 20-year-old seamer, the next six months could cement his potential as a world-class player.
Rahman was injured for the World T20 qualifier, though Bangladesh didn’t miss him too much, defeating Netherlands and Oman, while the Ireland game was washed out. But the Super 10s were a different story. Without him for their opener against Pakistan, Bangladesh took only one wicket in the first thirteen overs, giving Shahid Afridi the perfect platform to provide a blitz at the death.
By the time Rahman had returned from his side strain, the Tigers took a further hit, with Taskin Ahmed and Arafat Sunny being banned from bowling by the ICC for illegal actions. It was a huge blow to a team many considered to be dark horses entering the tournament. They looked weaker than their all-conquering 2015 side. Apart from Mustafizur—he looked better than ever.
He continued his knack of picking up wickets, with nine in his three matches, at an average of 9.55 and an economy of 7.16. Of those nine, six were via his deadly cutter. It’s a delivery that sets him apart from his contemporaries in one-day cricket and was a big contributing factor to Bangladesh’s resurgent 2015. The ball is both well-disguised and grips sharply off the pitch. Rahman is so consistent and accurate with it that it almost makes him an 80mph spinner.
Going into the tournament, it looked like it wouldn’t be as effective as in 2015. A shoulder injury had ruled him out of the PSL; a side strain finished his Asia Cup. In addition, with teams relentlessly studying films of his cutter, some worried he would be predictable.
They were right. Yet opponents still struggled to combat the young pacer. Bangladesh’s final group game against New Zealand provided the perfect example of this. He took 5/22—the best figures in the tournament, and all came courtesy of the cutter. It is rare sight in T20s to see a bowler so in control of the batsman. They all knew to expect the cutter, but they had no answer to it.
Rahman’s wicket-taking ability was preserved, despite the injuries and his mystery fading. He now faces his debut IPL season with the Sunrisers Hyderabad, but although he had a successful World T20, his place in the XI is not guaranteed. With only four overseas spots available, the Hyderabad team face a selection dilemma. The destructive David Warner’s place in the team (and virtually any team he plays in) should be solid, and Kane Williamson should pip off-form Eoin Morgan to the side. Moises Henriques had a brilliant 2015 tournament and should be selected, leaving one space. Mustafizur faces competition from swing bowler Trent Boult for that space.
A year ago, Boult would have been the obvious choice. He’s a world-class bowler who can swing the ball both ways. He had a decent 2015 for the Sunrisers, but while Mustafizur was deceiving his team-mates with cutters, he couldn’t make the Blackcaps team in any of their five World T20 matches. Rahman has had good form and game time going into the tournament. He seems set to become the IPL’s next star.
After the IPL, he will join Sussex for the both T20s and 50-over cricket. It will be a test for a bowler who has played all of his cricket in Bangladesh and India. While his cutters won’t be as dangerous away from dry subcontinental pitches, the swinging English conditions should aid his development as a bowler.
2016 will be challenging for Mustafizur Rahman. He potentially faces six months away from home, to add to the month he spent in India playing the World T20. But the way he has come back so strongly from injury suggests that he will deal with the transition well. It’s easy to forget that despite being one of the best bowlers in the world, Rahman is still only twenty. He has a maturity that belies his age.
Bangladesh has had a host of young cricketing stars, but he seems different and that’s what makes him so exciting. Most of Bangladesh’s promising young players have faded in a struggling team. Rahman’s rise has prompted an almost simultaneous rise in Bangladesh’s fortunes. In white-ball cricket they are extremely strong. Despite the poor World T20, they challenged India—and should have won—in a way they rarely did before his debut. They look like contenders now.
It’s hard not to enjoy the development of Mustafizur Rahman. He plays for a country famous for their love of cricket and his style of bowling is completely unique. No bowler bowls the cutter as quickly or as effectively. He has a demanding six months ahead, but they could be the most beneficial to his career, as IPL and county cricket have launched a host of players’ careers. Those six months might launch him into superstardom.
