Mushfiqur Rahim Appointed Cricket Team Captain
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) spokesperson, Rabeed Imam, has announced that wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim has been appointed as the new team captain for the upcoming series against Pakistan and the West Indies to be played on home ground. It was also confirmed that all-rounder Mohammad Mahmudullah will fill the role of vice-captain during the West Indies games in October, and when the team plays against Pakistan in December. Rahim thanked the BCB for entrusting him with the responsibility of captain, noting that he was fully aware of the expectations of the entire nation, and is committed towards ensuring that the team will strive to fulfill the dream of millions of cricket fans.
Mushfiqur Rahim was born on September 1, 1988, in Bogra, Bangladesh. He was only 16 years old when selected as a wild-card inclusion for his home country’s maiden tour of England in 2005. At the time he was selected as an understudy to Khaled Mashud, long-time wicketkeeper for the team, but Rahim’s performance in warm-up matches led to his selection to play as a specialist batsman in the first Test at Lord’s where he scored 19 in the first innings, becoming one of the three batsmen to score double figures before Bangladesh was dismissed for 108. Rahim captained the Bangladesh side in the 2006 U-19 Cricket World Cup, where the team reached the tournament’s quarter finals. The talented young player was included in Bangladesh’s senior squad to tour Zimbabwe in 2006 where he scored his maiden half-century. He was subsequently picked as first-choice wicketkeeper for the World Cup in the West Indies and recalled for the second Test match against Sri Lanka which took place in July 2007. Rahim was vice-captain of the national team for their Zimbabwe tour in August 2009, as well as for the Home Test Series against India in 2010, where he scored his maiden Test century.
Mushfiqur Rahim takes over from Shakib Al Hasan as team captain, following the team’s disappointing performance against Zimbabwe in August 2011. Although Rahim hit 101 from 100 balls and scored his second century against Zimbabwe, it was not enough to prevent Bangladesh losing the series. Both Shakib Al Hasan and vice-captain Tamim Iqbal were dismissed from the team, with poor performance and indiscipline cited as reasons for the action taken by the BCB.
