Dimunitive in stature, tall on the field: Mushfiqur Rahim’s Test journey

Mushfiqur Rahim’s dreams are about to come true!

When the diminutive right-handed wicket-keeper batter walks out to play the second Test against Ireland at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Wednesday (November 19), history will be made.

Rahim will only be the nineth batter in cricketing history to be the first player to play 100 Tests for their respective countries. He will join an elite club that comprises of Colin Cowdrey (England), Sunil Gavaskar (India), Clive Lloyd (West Indies), Allan Border (Australia), Javed Miandad (Pakistan), Gary Kirsten (South Africa), Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) and Stephen Fleming (New Zealand).

For any cricketer it is certainly a huge achievement to be the first to play 100 Test for their country, and the journey can be a testament of sheer determination and dedication for Rahim, who seems to have truly understood the value of the format.

Former Bangladesh skipper Tamim Iqbal, known to be one of Rahim’s close friends since his childhood, feels that no one deserves to reach the historical landmark more than the right-handed batter, known as Mr Dependable.

“I feel that if anyone among us really deserved to play 100 Test matches, then he (Rahim) deserved it,” Tamim told Cricbuzz when his attention was drawn regarding the journey of Rahim with whom he had some memorable memories both on and off the field.

“Again, I am saying this doesn’t mean to belittle anyone. The reason is that for a Bangladeshi cricketer, playing 100 Test matches is very challenging. For example, after him many players have already debuted in international cricket, played 100 Tests, and even retired by now,” he said.

“There was a time in Bangladesh when in two years you would have just one or two Test matches and he belonged to that era of players. So to keep him motivated, to keep him fit, to keep performing and to achieve that he is going to achieve in the coming days is a remarkable achievement.

“And I think, if you ask the cricketing family, the thing I said, actually he deserves it the most because of the way he has maintained his body, the way he trains. I think it’s a great achievement,” he said.

“And I would also say that we should not see this as someone’s individual achievement. Yes, because it’s a humongous moment for Bangladesh cricket. Somebody playing 100 Test matches, I am sure in the future many more will, yes. But to be the first man and to come from an era where in one and a half years you play one or two Tests, and from there play 100 Test matches, I think the whole country, the entire cricketing fraternity, fans, cricket board, players-everybody should celebrate this moment. It should not be seen as one individual achievement,” he said.