Rangpur Riders head coach Mickey Arthur highlighted Mustafizur Rahman’s professionalism amid the recent controversy surrounding the left-arm pacer, as the Bangladesh bowler continues to deliver some of the best death bowling in this year’s Bangladesh Premier League, reports Daily Sun.
The 30-year-old has been in fine form for Rangpur, picking up nine wickets from five matches so far — the third-highest tally in the tournament— while consistently controlling runs at the back end of the innings.
“Fizz is just a proper professional,” Arthur said on Thursday after the Riders’ practice session at the Sylhet International Stadium. “He’s been incredible for us. He’s been superb. We know his qualities as a bowler — he’s as good as anybody in the world, if not better. And he’s just a very good team man, very humble. So there are no issues with managing him at all.”
Mustafiz found himself at the centre of one of the most dramatic episodes in recent Bangladesh cricket history earlier this week after his unexpected release from Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders.
The pacer had been bought for a significant sum — Tk 9.2 crore — at the auction, but was later removed from the squad after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) intervened, citing security concerns.
The decision sparked political and sporting fallout in Bangladesh, with authorities even ordering a suspension of IPL broadcasts and formally flagging security concerns over the country’s participation in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India.
Arthur admitted the episode had been disappointing for Mustafiz, especially given the opportunity he had secured in the IPL.
“He just gets out every day and does his job and does it to the best of his ability,” Arthur said. “It’s really disappointing for him what’s happened. He was on a really good contract at KKR, and that’s obviously disappointing.”
Despite the magnitude of the situation, Arthur said Mustafiz has dealt with the saga in a calm and composed manner.
“We had a quick chat about it, but there is a little bit of a language barrier between Fizz and me,” Arthur said with a smile. “So he understood what I was saying, I understood what he was saying, and we finished it up and moved on.”
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
