DHAKA—Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was not upbeat about his preparation for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka as he doesn’t have adequate practice after his return to the country following the postponement of Indian Premier League (IPL).
Mustafizur also had to remain in room quarantine in an Indian hotel before coming back to country on special arrangement by his franchise Rajasthan Royals.
According to him, he had to stay quarantine 19 days in India and Bangladesh in the last 25 days, which may leave him in rusty state.
The fast bowler, adorably called as the ‘Cutter Master’ was at his best during the IPL in which he took eight wickets in seven matches for Rajasthan Royals. The most important thing was that he looked the Mustafizur of 2015-2016, when he was almost unplayable.
But the quarantine period in India and Bangladesh would create some rust and ruin his rhythm to some extent, a thing that Mustafizur Rahman believes and hence he left the preparation of the home series against Sri Lanka to creator, saying that ‘I have left all the things on Allah.”
He made this comment while talking to the media after Bangladesh’s practice session at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium today.
Both Mustafizur and Shakib Al Hasan, who also had to stay quarantine after his return to the country from India, would get just two days for practice ahead of the series.
“I have played one match in IPL and practice just one day in the last 25 days. Most of the time I had to stay in room quarantine. Now I don’t know … Shakib Bhai and I were almost the same. We could not practice last day, we will get two more days. So I don’t know..I left the preparation to Allah.”
Shakib and Mustafizur could not practice even though they returned to the field on Tuesday after the quarantine. The first practice after Eid break was thwarted by the rain.
After getting the opportunity to practice today, he bowled for quite a long time while Shakib Al Hasan bowled indoors for a while.
Asked if he got the rhythm after bowling for a long time, Mustafizur said, “If I don’t do anything for 19 days in a row, except for the things that can be done in the room and then if I think a lot on the first day, it shouldn’t happen.” I’m trying to get back into rhythm.”
After completing his quarantine period, Mustafizur had to enter into the bio-bubble, created for this series, and it is believed to derail him mentally. Mustafizur admitted that staying in bio-bubble and quarantine is a difficult experience but vowed to overcome it.
“The last two years have been difficult not only for me, but for all the players. We have to adjust with this new normal,” he said.BSS
