One, two or three for Mushy?

Bangladesh Test captain Mushfiqur Rahim said yesterday that he doesn't have any problem if the team management rids him of one of his three duties.

Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan Papon recently said that he feels that the triple responsibility -- batting, wicketkeeping and captaining the side -- is 'too stressful' for the player and that the board will discuss the matter with Mushfiqur. And the recent revelation that his finger injury was yet to heal made many doubt whether he could continue with the three responsibilities in the one-off Test against India, starting from June 10 at Fatullah.

"There is nothing personal because it's the Bangladesh cricket team. The team management will take the final decision according to their plans, from the selection of the squad to the best eleven," Mushfiqur said.

"The coach is currently not here, but when he gets back we will sit down and decide on all the aspects; what the plan will be, what combination of players we will use and what role I will play in the team. The coach will return in 2-3 days and after that we can decide on all these things," he added, when his attention was drawn to Papon's observation during a function yesterday at an event where Samsung introduced him as its brand ambassador.

When asked whether he felt any pressure doing these three tasks at once, Mushfiqur added: "When I do badly then it's normal that people will speak up. However, I have previously done all three and I believe I did well and nobody was talking then. Maybe I'm getting older also, so I will have to think about that. Perhaps I don't have the same level of fitness as before.

"If I can contribute to my team through only one role, then I will do that. Or if I can contribute through three roles then I am also willing to do those. It's all up to the team management, so I will talk to them and decide."

Regarding his injury, he informed that by Friday his one week's rest would be complete and he hoped he could start batting from Saturday.

"The keeping will take a bit more time, but I hope I will be hundred per cent fit by June 10."

While speaking about his decade long journey, Mushfiqur said: "Still after ten years when I play any match I try to think of it as my first and last match, because perhaps I may not get another chance."