Bangladesh pacers have reveled them in a year of outstanding success and rose to the high in immaculate fashion, substantiating that the country is not only a spin-oriented side now. The revelation of Mustafizur Rahman worked as wonder in establishing Bangladesh pace, which often is used to flounder, as their strong link. The pacers, capable of achieving occasional successes, now got their firm grip.
The stats had proved the fact. Bangladesh played four ODI series this year and won every series in commanding fashion. The hosts overall played 12 ODIs in those four series in which the bowlers took 103 wickets out of possible 120. The pacers claimed 58 wickets while the spinners and the part time bowlers got 55. The stat absolutely proved the pacers domination in a country which is famous for his left arm spinners.
The pacers’ supremacy became more prominent after the introduction of cutter master Mustafizur Rahman. He made his debut in the series against India in last June. In the last three series Bangladesh bowlers got 77 wickets out of possible 90, of which pacers snapped up 49 wickets. It left the spinners and part time bowlers to share 28 wickets, almost half of the pacers.
Mustafizur himself grabbed 26 wickets in those 49. He got three pacers around him by this time. Taskin, Rubel and Mashrafe were his partner during the series against India, Rubel and Mashrafe in South Africa and Al-Amin and Mashrafe in Zimbabwe. All of these three pacers including Mashrafe got even better once Mustafizur came to the international circuit. Unarguably their workload has been reduced after the emergence of the wonder boy.
Tamim Iqbal explained it best way, stating, “We are searching for a bowler who could give us breakthrough in the middle of the innings, who could break the strong partnership. When the ball becomes old, our pacers get it tough to make a breakthrough. The emergence of Mustafizur Rahman solved this problem as his slower, cutter remains unplayable still. He now hones skill in swinging the ball in both ways and if he keeps it up, he will be unplayable all the way.”
Bangladesh had to depend on Shakib Al Hasan to give them a break in the middle over earlier and now Mustafizur’s arrival gave him some respite. Shakib now could bowl with more freedom which is expected to squeeze out his best in the coming days. Moreover Bangladesh now got another dependable bowler in Al-Amin Hossain whose achievement went unnoticed because of Mustafizur Rahman. Zimbabwe series was his first since the World Cup from where he had to return due to breaching the team curfew. Al-Amin was instrumental in breaking the tough partnership in all three ODIs against Zimbabwe, giving the selectors a message that he is far better than he was in the past. While Mustafizur has his cutter, Al-Amin got length delivery particularly to his likings.
But when the pacers number in ODI cricket remains extra ordinary, they couldn’t translate the success into the Twenty20 cricket until the series against Zimbabwe. They dazzled in group in the first T20 against the Southern African nation, sharing six wickets even. While Mashrafe gave the breakthrough by claiming two crucial wickets, Al-Amin made his mark in the middle overs. Mustafizur shined in middle and late overs to complement the two bowlers’ magnificent job.
The three-men pace attack now worked as wonder and almost erasing the country’s tagline of left-arm spinner-based country. And if they keep it up, Zimbabwe would find it tough to avoid the series sweep for the second consecutive time.