Playing as specialist batsman is pressure but helpful, says Mushfiqur after double ton

Mushfiqur, Bangladesh’s most successful wicket-keeper in the longest format, has been playing as a specialist batsman lately, after being asked by the team management to relinquish ‘keeping responsibilities in a bid to prolong his career – a decision Mushfiqur very hesitantly came to terms with.

It didn’t immediately pay off, but Mushfiqur has found a purple patch lately, with his last three Test outings yielding three scores of fifty or more, including Monday’s double hundred. "It was a difficult decision to make, of course,” Mushfiqur said. “Playing only as a batsman is always pressure. But at the same time, I can say that the decision is helping me in my batting, which can benefit me more in the future.

"I think that I should admit the reality. I am also getting old. This is the right time I should concentrate on a different thing. I can be relaxed while fielding, and can focus more on my batting. Overall, it is going well for me, and I hope that I will continue the same."

Mushfiqur felt that it was the easing of the load while on the park as a fielder, as opposed to a wicket-keeper, that’s helped his game flourish lately. He is now one of Bangladesh’s senior-most batsmen, as well as their most successful, a feat he achieved yesterday, when he went past Tamim Iqbal.

"There were some times I batted really well despite doing wicket-keeping,” Mushfiqur said. “Still, I feel that wicket-keeping helps me a lot while I bat. I still take information from Liton or from slip [about] what is going in the field. These are two different things. When I field, I can be more relaxed and you can say that the reflection is seen in my batting. But I still miss wicket-keeping, and I respect what the team decided about me, and I want to contribute [to the] maximum."