Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza on Wednesday termed the Indian batting line-up as one of the best in the world but said his highly skilled pacer Mustafizur Rahaman can upset any kind of homework done by the visiting batsmen.
On the eve of the Asia Cup T20 opener against India, the Bangladesh skipper had to field various questions on the 20-year-old left-arm fast medium bowler, whom he feels “can do things which others in his team can’t”.
“Mustafiz (that’s how Mashrafe refers to him) has many variations of his slow cutters. It is only important as to how confident he is about the execution part. He does he not focus on opposition batsmen and only concentrates on what he knows best. You can do your homework against Mustafiz but it might not work,” Mashrafe told mediapersons here on Tuesday.
Since his mindblowing debut against India last year, the frail left-arm seamer attracted a lot of attention, but his skipper assured that his feet are rooted to the ground firmly.
"He doesn’t think about all things like what all is said about him. So, as a captain, it is easier for me to guide a boy who has no inclination towards all these external factors. And since he does not really care, it does not put him under any sort of pressure. I think Mustafiz is diametrically opposite of what people perceive him to be as he has got so much success so early in his career. What he does is to go out there and play and come back.
“But, at the same time, what he is capable of is something others may not be capable of. He is scared of only one thing – when I am bowling from the opposite end,” the skipper said bursting into laughter.
But, as a reminder, Mashrafe cautioned that T20 is a different format than 50 overs and Mustafizur alone cannot win Bangladesh matches.
“It is a different format and Mustafizur alone cannot win us matches. The others will also have to chip in. Our T20 record has not been that great but that does not mean we can’t improve. This tournament is our chance to prepare for the big event (World T20). We should not be afraid of failures.”