Being a shy, skinny left-arm fast bowler hailed from a village near Satkhira on the south-west border, Mustafizur has enjoyed an outstanding rise. A unique kind of cricketing pop-stardom, with an embodiment of the T20 world: the little-known kid from the village steps into the franchise stellar-sphere. You will be surprised to know that the boy from Tetulia is right now the most Googled person in Bangladesh.
So what made Mustafizur so famous? Mainly this is because of his method. He isn’t that much quick. He doesn’t want to swing the ball much or have a lethal bouncer. He is rather more of an everyday statistically freaky medium-pacer. He comes with his own superpower in a subtle and apparently devastating mystery variation.
Bolstered with a freakish supple wrist which can actually snap through 90 degrees at the time of releasing the ball, Mustafizur has realized he can dictate the white ball to jump and stop suddenly without any change of action once the shine has scuffed. It is an inborn talent, a cutter he practiced in the nets while also weaning himself out of hopping on the wrong foot. It also works quite effectively.
Mustafizur is a rare breed of bowler. Barring fitness and form, he will ignite the club v country debate frequently in the coming years. He just has to be guided in a proper way, following the right signals in order to enjoy the freedom to express himself.
So, will he be able to hold on to his golden run of form? There are different factors with can ultimately determine his future in the fast bowling arena.
Let’s take a quick look at those intriguing factors.