When Mushfiqur Rahim debuted, he was an eighteen-year-old boy, his face still youthful and his smile wide with joy. His Test cap carries immense historic value, a true legacy in Bangladesh cricket. The story of the nation’s Test journey is woven into every fold of it.
Two decades later, Mushfiqur is a bearded man, yet his smile remains, and his hunger to keep going at 38 is an inspiration for the next generation. Nobody imagined the boy from Bogra would one day play 100 Tests for Bangladesh.
Once green, now grey and worn, Mushfiqur’s Test cap tells the story of his dedication to the game on the sacred ground of Test cricket, a journey that began on 26th May 2005 at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground.
Among the teammates from his debut Test, most have retired or left mainstream cricket, Some have turned to coaching, while some have moved abroad. On the eve of this historic occasion in Mushfiqur’s long career, the Times of Bangladesh looks back at his journey through the eyes of his debut Test teammates.
Javed Omar Belim
This boy is a true champion. From the very beginning, he played the game with passion, focus, and a hunger to improve, and that is remarkable. He was young at the time, but very mature. The sense of responsibility he showed is rare in Bangladesh cricket.
Playing year after year with the same level of dedication is what has set him apart. This is why he has been able to play 100 Tests. Talent alone cannot take you this far. Mushfiqur has proven that it takes commitment and discipline. He has become someone the team can rely on. Seeing a cricketer like him play his 100th Test is a great moment for the country’s cricket, not just for him.
Nafees Iqbal
It’s fabulous. I feel like he is the right person to achieve this. I’m sure there were a lot of potentials that he could have achieved, but somehow that situation didn’t happen for no reason. But I’m very glad that Mushfiq has achieved this because of his dedication, his process. Process means that we always depend on outcomes, but he was always dependent on his process. And that has been for a long time. That makes him more consistent, being a great athlete, at the same time being a consistent performer and keeping a good fitness. It is a fabulous achievement.
Back in 2005. He was a normal player, but he was courageous.I want to say one thing. He was courageous. At such a young age, playing against England, the England team was not easy. So that was different. And the way he got along with the journey, he matured and everything got better. So this is what Mushfiqur Rahim is.
Habibul Bashar Sumon (Test Captain then)
I first saw Mushfiqur during the 2005 England tour camp. He looked like such a small boy, and my first thought was, could this kid handle English conditions? But after watching him in practice, I knew there was something special about him. Technically, he was very sound, and mentally, for his age, he was strong. Whenever we talked in the dressing room, I often said this boy would go a long way.
There is no doubt that Mushfiqur playing his 100th Test is a huge achievement. Just looking at the names of players who have reached 100 Tests shows you the company he is in all legends. Playing Test cricket in our country has never been easy, especially in the early days when we did not get to play many matches. Unlike countries like India, England, or Australia, we were not in a position to play that many Tests.
Mohammad Ashraful
I truly consider myself fortunate. Allah has given me the opportunity to be in the dressing room during Mushfiqur’s debut at Lord’s, and now to be with him again for his 99th and 100th Tests. Witnessing two such important moments in a single player’s career is a rare privilege for me.
I have known Mushfiqur since he was a young boy. Such consistency is very rare in Bangladesh cricket, and it has only been possible for one reason, his unmatched discipline. Staying at the top level of international cricket for twenty years is not easy. Those who are playing now or will play in the future should truly see Mushfiqur as a role model.
Athar Ali Khan (Selector then)
Dav Whatmore was our coach then, and we were the ones who pushed to give this young player his first Test at Lord’s in 2005. It was early summer in England, cold, the ball moving, and we were struggling in the warm-up matches. But there was this one kid from the A team whose previous England tour had been outstanding. He had scored a hundred against Northamptonshire and an 80-odd against a county side.
I told Faruque Ahmed, “We need to give him a chance. He is young, but he has already scored runs in these conditions.” Eventually Farooq agreed, and we picked him. Hardly anyone knew him at that time, but we believed he was the right one for England.
He did not score in that match, but I was doing Sky commentary, sitting beside Ian Botham, Bob Willis and David Lloyd. The very first ball he faced, he got right behind the line and defended off the back foot. David Lloyd leaned over and said, “I think you have found yourself a player.” That was his first impression on people who really mattered, technically so sound.
And Alhamdulillah, in 2007, when Faruque and I were on the selection panel, we backed him again over another wicketkeeper. There was plenty of talk and criticism, but he proved everyone wrong, just as we always believed he would.
Particularly for Mushfiqur Rahim, my feeling was always that he would end up scoring more than anyone else. But reaching 100 Test matches is something far bigger. It is a remarkable achievement. As a wicketkeeper-batter, he became only the fourth in the world to do it, which shows the level of effort he has put into his career.
What he has done in Test cricket is incredible and truly inspiring. It is a huge motivation for young players in Bangladesh who dream of playing Test cricket. Hard work pays off, and his journey is the best example of that.
