Cricket: Mustafizur Rahman bowls over journos

Reporters started to gather like any other day at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, well before the Tigers started their practice from 4pm yesterday.

As usual there was a demand for a player to be served up to furnish the scribes with quotes that would make the story for the day. With no player from the camp available to speak, media manager Rabeed Imam raised hopes by saying that Mustafizur Rahman might fill in. 

The long wait was over as the young pace sensation -- currently as popular a Tiger as any -- appeared with a smile, still recovering from shoulder surgery. Having spent more than a year in international cricket, Mustafizur is no more a shy boy. He shared some light moments with the journalists and before appearing in front of the microphones he consulted with the media manager and reminded him that it would be a 'two-minute affair'. He however talked for nearly four minutes, drawing pleasure at giving short answers to tall questions.

When asked for his impressions on the national team's practice as an outsider, he said: “I am too young, so I have no answer.”

His jocular mood was further on display when he was asked about Courtney Walsh. “Difficult question, I don't have any answer.”

He however made it clear that he will miss the two home series against Afghanistan and England and that he was coping well with the rehab.

He then left, letting out a mirthful sigh at having kept his PR duties to the bare minimum as his teammates sweated it out behind him, while the reporters were left searching for what sound bites they could possibly use.