Mominul Stands by Mushfiqur Amid Lean Patch: “He’ll Come Back Even Stronger”

Bangladesh’s most successful Test batter, Mushfiqur Rahim, continues to struggle with the bat in the ongoing Sylhet Test against Zimbabwe. After managing just 4 runs off 18 balls in the first innings, Mushfiq was dismissed for the same score in the second, facing 20 deliveries before edging a delivery from Blessing Muzarabani outside off-stump.

While his recent form may raise concerns — with no half-centuries in his last 12 Test innings — teammate Mominul Haque expressed full confidence in the veteran's ability to bounce back.

“I’m not at all worried about him,” Mominul said in the post-Day 3 press conference. “Now that he’s retired from the other two formats, I believe he will perform even better. When your focus is on just one format, it becomes easier to do well.”

Mominul, a former Test captain himself, was quick to remind everyone of Mushfiqur’s long-standing contributions to Bangladesh cricket.

“He's been playing international cricket for a long time. He knows how to come back, how to score runs,” Mominul added. “We should never forget what he’s done for Bangladesh. His runs have always been crucial. And when he scores, he plays marathon innings. You can’t forget that so easily.”

Despite Mushfiq’s struggles, Bangladesh have shown signs of recovery thanks to a resilient partnership between captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and wicketkeeper-batter Zakir Ali Anik. The pair ended Day Three unbeaten, leading Bangladesh to a 112-run lead heading into Day Four.

With the team in a strong position, and support from his teammates unwavering, Mushfiqur Rahim will look to silence the critics and find form in the coming challenges.