The lanky 19-year old Mustafizur Rahman is the talk of the country after the fearless teenager popped up from nowhere and announced his grand arrival in world cricket. Setting records with his left-arm craftsmanship seemed as easy as playing backyard cricket; the kid is a natural. No doubt, Mustafizur was the chief architect behind Bangladesh’s successful one-day international bilateral series win over India and now, he is rightly under the spotlight.
Mustafizur made his debut in the recently concluded ODI series and in the three matches he played in, he made a few records of his own; most wickets in the first two matches, most wickets in the first three matches and most wickets in a three-match series.
Bangladesh fast bowling coach Heath Streak and captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza are probably the two best fast bowlers Mustafizur could have had as mentors in his early days. And most importantly for Mustafizur, both Streak and Mashrafe care a lot for his well-being as they urged that the youngster needs to be taken good care of.
Here are the five things that the Bangladesh Cricket Board must ensure in order to help Mustafizur grow into a better person and a player who can serve the country for a long time to come.
Education
“He was never keen on studies but had reached 10th grade in school. He was supposed to undertake the SSC examinations in 2013 but that did not materialise,” his brother Mokhlesur Rahman Paltu was quoted as saying in bdnews24.com. BCB must ensure the minimum level of education – at least college graduation – for the Satkhira-born lad. Knowledge always helps a person to think right and go in the right direction, therefore the cricket board must find a way to provide him proper education alongside his cricket venture. BCB also has the responsibility of making him aware of the corruption that exists in this world. Mustafizur idolises the bowling of Pakistani Mohammed Aamer, but he surely does not want to end up on Aamer’s track.
Diet/Nutrition
Mustafizur is 5’ 11’’, thin and tall. To become a fast bowler and continue for a long period is not easy, therefore the BCB physicians/nutritionists must chalk out a healthy diet plan and a nutrition chart for the pacer. He must know the amount of protein intake that he should have while he must also be directed to what drinks/medicines/substances he should stay away from.
Physical training
His workload must be categorised. Being a fast bowler, he needs to have proper gymnasium strength and muscle training. However, overworking at the gym can often give out adverse results so Mustafizur must be given the knowledge and the areas he should work on.
Hanging out with the right people
It is probably one of the most important factors Mustafizur must be cautioned about. Often being in or around a wrong circle of crowd has demolished a cricketer’s career many a time before. May that be playing at the league, working under the guidance of a club coach or even the friend circle where he hangs out; Mustafizur must know his well-being and stay away from any kind of advice or activity that can prove to be costly or harmful.
Do not overuse the talent
No matter how many records Mustafizur bagged in his first three matches against India, one cannot expect Mustafizur to deliver on each and every outing he makes. He is a human being after all and he will disappoint at some point. He may be out of form, opponents might read his tricks but the BCB must not overuse the talent. In order to get long service from Mustafizur in all three formats – Twenty20, ODI and Test – the 19-year old should feel the urge to give back to cricket and to keep his dedication intact. He must also not be pressurised.
