Mushfiqur Rahim doesn’t consider himself too big a player to ask for a break

Bangladesh are in South Africa preparing for the 2-Test series against the hosts which starts from September 28. Before the commencement of the Test series, Bangladesh will play a warm-up game against CSA Invitation XI on Thursday in a bid to get acclimatized to the conditions of South Africa.

Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim has come to terms with Shakib Al Hasan’s sabbatical from the Test arena. The No. 1 all-rounder in Tests will be away from the white fennels for a period of six months which will definitely hurt Bangladesh. Shakib will join his teammates in South Africa to take part in both limited-overs series next month. Mushfiqur said that the all-rounder will be missed but Bangladesh can win without his services too.

“Definitely Shakib will be missed. In a sense, we have to fill his void as he fulfills both responsibilities as a batsman and a bowler. As captain, missing the No 1 all-rounder of the world is slightly tough for me. A player like Shakib is useful for any captain in any format of the game. But at the same time, it’s a great opportunity for a player who will play in Shakib’s place,” he explained.

“But we have to accept his absence. He could have missed the series through injury. So we have to accept the situation. Bangladesh can play well, even without him. In the past we have won matches against the West Indies, New Zealand or Zimbabwe, even without Shakib. But we will definitely miss him. Hopefully this break becomes fruitful for him and he can return to Tests fully fresh,” he concluded.

Bangladesh no pushovers

Bangladesh are fresh from winning their first ever Test against Australia when they beat them in Dhaka last month. Australia ended up drawing level in the final Test but there are plenty of positives that came out of the series. Although they were blown away when they last visited the shores of South Africa in 2008, Bangladesh are no pushovers and are certain to offer resistance in the 2-Test series.

Musfiqur, in a light-hearted statement, said that he wasn’t a big enough player yet to ask for a leave when he was asked about his plans of taking a similar leave like his colleague Shakib has done. “I think I am not that kind of a big player yet who can apply or take a break from international cricket,” Mushfiqur told the media during a press conference before departing for South Africa.

South Africa is likely to announce the squad for the Test series at the conclusion of the first round of the domestic first-class game. Vernon Philander has been ruled out for the first Test while Morris will miss the Test as well as the ODI series due to a back injury.