Mushfiqur: 'Bangladesh know how to plan against Babar'

Bangladesh feel they can keep Babar Azam quiet after the experienced Pakistan batter was declared fit to play the second Test in Sylhet. according to senior wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim.

Babar scored just 64 runs in four innings when Bangladesh blanked Pakistan 2-0 in Rawalpindi in 2024. Nahid Rana. who took 5 for 40 in the first Test in Dhaka last week, dismissed Babar twice in that series. Mushfiqur said that Bangladesh, this time too, have plans against Babar.

"I think the Pakistan team is obviously struggling in Tests, ODIs. T20Is but we won [in Dhaka] because we played really well," Mushfiqur said. "We were consistent against them. We will try to play in the same way. We have to see how much we get to play in this Test match; it will be a challenge to find a result in this game.

"I am sure [Babar's] presence will be a boost for the Pakistan team, especially because he is a world-class cricketer. But he played in the two Tests when we beat them in Pakistan, still we beat them. We know where to attack him, how to plan against him. We are hopeful of executing those plans. If we can do that, we can definitely put him and the team under pressure."

The forecast looks grim for the Test,. Mushfiqur said that the Bangladesh players need to know when to be "switched on" amid the likely interruptions.

"We are playing in the rainy season. We are lucky that we got a result in Mirpur. Here too, the drainage system is world-class. We played the BCL first-class matches here recently. It rained overnight but we got a scheduled start on all four days. I think it will be on. off here, so if the rain stays away, we might even get a result here.

"We knew before the Test series started that it will be on and off in both Dhaka and Sylhet. Being a professional cricketer, I feel this is our daily routine. We don't have to overthink anything, but make sure we switch on and off at the right times. We have to switched on when we have work to do,. then when we are off, we can be completely off," Mushfiqur said.

He praised the current Test setup for being more consistent than previous Bangladesh sides in the format. Mushfiqur has won seven Tests as a captain, while also winning seven Tests under Najmul Hossain Shanto's leadership.

"We have had some great individual cricketers in our Test side in the past. The team now is more consistent than ever. We used to play three Tests per year before. so it makes favourable results quite difficult if it becomes such a lengthy process. It is comparatively easier now, because we are sometimes playing eight or ten Tests per year. We have a group of experienced batters. We have more consistent performers now, around seven or eight, so that obviously makes a team better.

"Shanto is batting really well. I think his biggest plus is that he takes leadership positively. He leads by example, so we are all bound to follow him. I think he is a great leader. I am hopeful that he continues to bat in this consistent way, in Tests and other formats too," Mushfiqur said.

He said that just like every other Test match in his long career. he remains fully focused on the job at hand, putting in extra hours at the nets even after Bangladesh's official training sessions.

"Preparations depend on each individual. I always try to maintain my process that I think is appropriate and the preparation that gives me confidence. So from that perspective. I am training with 15 players so it is hard to accommodate time in the nets sometimes. I take the extra time so that nobody is waiting for me to finish in the nets. Sometimes I take one or almost two hours, so that's why I do it separately," he said.