Mushfiqur Rahim - Act like a man and not a kid

As soon as Vusi Sibanda hit the winning runs to complete his hundred and register a series win for his country, it also ended Bangladesh’s amazing run in bilateral ODI series. Since 2011, the Tigers haven’t lost a bilateral ODI series and against sides, far better than them, they have managed to show enough character to topple them in grand style. As a matter of fact, Zimbabwe has played batter cricket than Bangladesh. Their sense of responsibility was better and the keen to learn from mistakes have been praiseworthy. Zimbabwe deserved to be the winners.

The die hard Bangladeshi cricket fans were not expecting such a defeat. On paper, Bangladesh were a better outfit than the hosts. But if a team lacks proper application and remain complacent without working on their mistakes then surely they have to pay a heavy price. Bangladesh paid a heavy price for being too complacent. This defeat has left the fans bruised – not a great gift for a nation devoured by depression.

But Mushfiqur Rahim’s surprisingly shocking decision to step down from the national team’s captaincy post has utterly shocked the whole nation! Before the post-match press conference was ending, Mushfiq lifted his hand to ask the journalists to stay a bit longer. In an emotional voice Mushfiq said, “I just have one thing to add before we finish. I will be stepping down as captain after the last two [Twenty20] matches. I believe that I couldn't lead my team, and I didn't score enough runs. That is why I think we lost the ODI series.”

It seems that Mushfiq had been severely moved by the defeat. Whatever decision Mushfiq took seemed to have stemmed out from emotions. But should a captain be that much emotional? Should a captain step back in critical situations? Should a captain bear a chicken heart? 

Since Mushfiq has taken over the captaincy, he has been brilliant. His captaincy was never without chinks but what made him successful had been his ability to gel the team together. Mushfiq ensured a healthy unity within the team where egos run high. Bangladesh enjoyed a fair amount of successes under his tenure and on and off the field Mushfiq earned enough respect as a leader.

Then, why suddenly this kid like act?

Personally, I found Mushfiq’s decision a stupid one. There are many sympathetic posts in blogs and social media regarding Mushfiq’s decision. But I have no sympathy for Mushfiq as his decision simply offended me. He simply gave the world the impression that the Bangladesh cricket team is being lead by a kid. Such emotional exhibitions are for gully cricket and not international circuit. 

To achieve success one has to accept defeat. Defeats are a part of every game. You learn from defeats and move on by correcting your mistakes

Did Daniel Vettori step down from his captaincy when his side was thrashed 4-0 against Bangladesh in 2010? Or, did MS Dhoni step down after digesting heavy defeats at home and abroad? Certainly, none of them turned emotional or acted like a crying baby but instead, they traveled through the troubled waters with enough patience and guts – Daniel Vettori led his team to the semifinals in World Cup 2011 while MS Dhoni’s men came back strong to mesmerize the touring Australians with a 4-0 defeat. There are many more examples of such dynamic leaders in the history of cricket.

At least try to learn something from your opposing captain Brendan Taylor who came back strong against you despite strings of humiliation. In the topsy-turvy world of international cricket a captain must be a hard nut to crack. He must be the last action hero and not bog down easily. In tough times a captain must be the lighthouse for his team and guide his men well amid extreme darkness. A captain must act like a man and not a kid.

Thank You
Faisal Caesar