In a career blighted by series of injuries, Mashrafee bin Murtaza has had many regrets as he missed the 2011 World Cup at home, lost the glory of becoming the first Test captain to win a Test series overseas.
If Mashrafee makes a shortlist of his injury-toll, he will probably find the Bangladesh-New Zealand one-day series in 2010 also in it. He began the series as the skipper but could bowl just one over before it all ended for him in a nightmare.
Sakib al Hasan took over from him and created a history by leading the side to an unprecedented 4-0 series sweep that is still a talking point before the two sides meet again in the ICC World Twenty20 today.
Despite his personal woes, the series is still vivid in Mashrafee’s memory and like many others in the side he is also taking inspiration from their success in Dhaka.
‘Do you know I was the captain of the side that beat New Zealand at home?,’ Mashrafee reminded reporters at Pallekele before the team’s final practice session ahead of the game.
‘I bowled just one over but still I am also a part of history,’ laughed a fit-again Mashrafee, who appeared fully ready for the challenge ahead.
No matter how trivial it is, Mashrafee has at least some memory of the series. The same cannot be said about Tamim Iqbal and Mohammad Ashraful, Bangladesh’s opening pair in today’s match, who both missed the series, albeit for different reasons.
Tamim chose the time to undergo an operation on his wrist that was giving him trouble all the year while Ashraful was out of form and as usually out of the team. Now after two years time there is no sign of injury in Tamim’s wrist while Ashraful also regained his form and his place in the squad, giving Bangladesh a much-needed balance.
The presence of Mashrafee, Tamim and Ashraful gave skipper Mushfiqur Rahim the courage to say on Thursday that he now has more match winners than in 2010, when the team mostly relied on Sakib.
Mushfiq said so not just because Mashrafee, Tamim and Ashraful are in the side now, but also because of addition some new faces over the last two years who can alone change the course of the game.
When Rubel Hossain uprooted the leg stump of Kyle Mills to give Bangladesh the three-run win in the last match and complete the 4-0 sweep, Nasir Hossain was among the crowd in the gallery and he said on Thursday that it was one of the happiest moments in his life.
‘I played together with Rubel in the Under-19 side, so when he took the final wicket, I was so happy, I cannot still forget it,’ said Nasir, Bangladesh’s new all-rounder sensation who is yet to play any game against New Zealand.
Six-hitter Ziaur Rahman, who was living in Khulna, watched the series on television, but never thought he could be joining this victorious group before they play New Zealand again.
‘I think our team has become stronger now, not just because of me, but for the group who are playing together for quite sometime,’ said Zia, who made his debut in Ireland in July and already became a reliable name in the batting order.
In the same match Zia had his 17-ball blast on debut, Bangladesh also handed left-arm spinner Elias Sunny his first Twenty20 cap, who took no time to announce his arrival with a match-winning 5-13.
The return of Mashrafee, Tamim, Ashraful and the arrival of Nasir, Zia and Sunny not just only made Bangladesh a better side than that 4-0 victorious eleven but also made their chance of a win in today’s match more realistic.
-With New Age input
