'Still not feeling any difference'

Mushfiqur Rahim may have spoken to the media after a month at Mirpur yesterday and yet, only five minutes into the press conference, you could predict almost every statement that the Test captain was about to make.

That the 26-year-old was going to base almost all his replies on a set formula was obvious from his very first statement of the day: "We have been working on our processes -- the basics. If that goes well everything will go fine."

The cliched statement is something that Mushfiqur has been blurting out throughout the difficult moments this year and, going by Bangladesh's disastrous run in 2014, these so called processes have yet to 'go well'.

However, the one question that drove the captain away from the set pattern was regarding the board's decision to relinquish Mushfiqur of his duty as captain of the ODI team.

When asked if the new role felt slightly incomplete, Mushfiqur let out a momentary smile, almost as though he was waiting for the question.

"Not really," said Mushfiqur, after a brief pause. "I still don't feel as though I am not the captain in the other format. There has not been an ODI series [since he was removed as ODI captain in September]. Maybe after the Tests it will be like, 'Oh yes! I have lost something'.

"However, I am enjoying the current responsibility. If I am not the captain and that benefits my team then rest assured I will be the first one to vacate the position. The new role that I have been entrusted with will help me focus a lot more and hopefully help my team do better. Insha'Allah, we can give our country something to cheer about this year," said Mushfiqur.

Despite being Bangladesh's highest run-scorer this year, Mushfiqur's captaincy on the field was frequently criticised. His defensive approach came under the scanner and eventually, the board decided to introduce the system of split-captaincy and made Mashrafe Bin Mortaza the ODI captain.

The move seemed to be the last trick up the board's sleeve to counter the run of defeats this year.

Losing the role of captain can be distressing for any player; as Mushfiqur himself put it, the feeling might set in at the start of the ODI series.

The worst form of realisation could take place during the World Cup next year; after all, the honour of leading your country at the mega event is an opportunity that not many professional athletes receive.

He has averaged in the mid 30s as captain in the ODIs, which is far better than his career average of 28.26. The key for Mushfiqur here would be to rise up to the new challenge instead of being pulled down by the wave of criticism.

And what better opportunity can he get than a home series against a side that has shared Bangladesh's luck in terms of results this year?