Mushfiqur Rahim out of danger after being struck on head by a bouncer

Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim was on Sunday struck on the head by a short delivery from Duanne Olivier. The ball crashed right into the side of his helmet. Mushfiqur immediately took his helmet off and held his head before collapsing on the ground. The umpires displayed their concern as the team doctor rushed to the scene.

After some moments, Rahim managed to get on his feet as he requested a change of helmets. He continued to bat through his innings. This wasn’t the first time the Bangladeshi captain faced something of a similar magnitude. Earlier this year in New Zealand, he faced a similar situation where he was carried on a stretcher to the hospital at Wellington.

A lot of pain

The blow left the wicketkeeper-batsman with a severe headache. “I felt pain a lot. I took medication and I tried to be there for my team,” he remarked. “After I had a chat with our physio in the middle, I told him I will go off if I can’t bat after 10 or 15 minutes. I wasn’t 100 per cent but I tried my level best to survive till lunch.”

Trapped in front of the stumps by Wayne Parnell, Mushfiqur was dismissed just minutes before lunch. While he was taken to the hospital after complaining of a prolonged headache, the doctors cleared him out soon. “I am okay at the moment. If I feel bad again, I can go back to the hospital,” he added.

The other concern that would be bothering the skipper is his team’s below the par performance in both the games. Throughout the whole series, Bangladesh were completely outplayed by the Proteas in all the departments, as they suffered innings defeats in both the games.

However, Mushfiqur clarified that the decision whether to continue or leave the captaincy remained with the selectors. “It is up to the board,” he said. “They gave me the honour and opportunity. They gave me the respect to lead the side. I tried my level best with honesty. If they are not satisfied they will take their decision.”