Being dropped has its perks, says Fizz
In the beginning a lot of players didn't know about me but they know me now. I would usually take wickets but it's tougher now. It [being dropped] is good for me since it gives me a chance to improve. I think I am not up to the level to get the chance and if I don't improve then I won't get the chance.
Mustafizur Rahman
Mustafizur Rahman's yorkers have become a thing of the past for many, with the effectiveness of that particular skill not quite where it was when he first burst into the international scene with great feats against India before a brilliant season in the Indian Premier League in 2016.
Since his shoulder surgery in August 2016, his pre-delivery stride has been different and the point of release has seen him get away from the stumps and bowl from wide of the crease. The ball would usually miss the stumps due to the angle and it led to batsmen taking their chances against the paceman.
On March 15, Fizz came in and barreled down a yorker to Soumya Sarkar while playing for Prime Bank against Gazi Group in the Dhaka Premier League (DPL). It threw Soumya off balance and he fell over while trying to get his bat down on time.
The ball rapped his boots fiercely before Mustafizur went up in appeal. The umpire did not agree with the left-armer and turned him down, perhaps thinking that it was going to miss the stumps. The yorker had almost got him his man but, more importantly, there were certain signs that the 24-year-old was reinventing himself during this DPL stint.
For starters, he was coming in from closer to the stumps as he did pre-surgery. Mustafizur practiced at the BCB Academy Ground in Mirpur yesterday with the second round of the DPL postponed due to the outbreak of coronavirus. Speaking to reporters, Mustafizur said that he had been working on a few changes and trying to hone his skills from before the Zimbabwe series and cited playing local matches as a chance for players to 'increase their skill'.
Asked about the yorkers and whether he had been facing any issues since his shoulder surgery, he replied: "I think there is something… some issue there. These days it's going in [block hole deliveries] well again. I am not getting the same confidence and will need to practicing well. I think my hand changed slightly since the operation, it's nothing significant."
That one of his latest yorkers nearly found its mark is a good sign and the left-armer opined that the 'ball was going at pace so it's [shoulder issues] not significant.
Not picked in the line-up for the two-Test series in India last year despite being in the squad, Fizz would later be dropped from the lone Test against Zimbabwe at home this year after head coach Russell Domingo saying that the pacer was 'not ready for Tests.'
Mustafizur caught on fast and yesterday reiterated that he wanted to play all formats and has been putting in time with bowling coach Otis Gibson, who has been talking to the left-armer regarding grip and wrist action.
"I think it's going well. The Zimbabwe ODIs were especially good since you get 10 overs and I tried to bring the ball back in during my first spell. It's not something you can do in a day. I have worked for two weeks on bringing the ball back in with Otis and hopefully it will get better as time passes," Fizz remarked.
There have been suggestions that the effectiveness of his cutters have also waned but Mustafizur said that the cutters were still going well for him and it was about the kind of wicket on offer. Most importantly, he wanted to improve. Being dropped gives him an incentive to do just that.
"I have been trying a few things to find out what works for me. The cutter is also there along with getting the ball to come back in. There will be up and downs in cricket. If you cannot accept that, you will never become a great player. It's [being dropped] good for me since it gives me a chance to improve. I think I am not up to the level to get the chance and if I don't improve then I won't get the chance," he concluded.
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