‘Very happy with my achievement’

Mushfiqur Rahim, having become the first Bangladesh batter to reach the magical mark of 5000 runs in Test cricket during his ton against Sri Lanka yesterday, arrived at the press conference yesterday and appeared as both content and light-hearted but had a sense of grievance against the unjustified treatment he received from the media. Here are the excerpts of that press conference:

Feelings after becoming first Bangladeshi to score 5000 Test runs?

Mushfiqur Rahim (MR): It's a great feeling ... but I'm sure I won't be the last one. There'll be a lot of capable players among our seniors and juniors who can reach 8,000 or 10,000 runs.

Could you tell us about the journey?

(MR): My goal [in my debut Test] was to play the second Test (laughs). Being a keeper-batter. I always gave priority to Tests. You are judged by how many big hundreds you get in the format. There's no end to success, but I'm very happy with my achievement.

Is Sri Lanka your favourite opponent?

(MR): To be honest, it's not easy to score runs against them. The way they set the field, it's not over attacking like England or Australia, who want you to make mistakes when you attack. They are different to play with your patience and this challenge against them motivates me extra.

Your thoughts on not playing any reverse sweep today?

(MR): I thought this would be the first question (laughs). It depends on how the wicket plays. There's no question of playing such shots [like reverse sweep] when you can play down the line.

This is a batting-friendly wicket where you can back your strength to play your shots with the straight bat. I want to mention that I played three or four reverse sweeps in two of my double-centuries. Check out the video of that knock. Definitely, it's one of my high-risk shots, but I'm not afraid to play it in the near future as well.

In the recent past, a lot has been said about you and your form. Reactions?

(MR): It [what is being said] is not desirable for a player. Only in Bangladesh, I have seen people compare me to Bradman when I score a century. But then when I don't score runs, I feel like digging a hole for myself.

But this is becoming a culture. If I have to spend so much time tackling these things off the field, our on-field duties get affected. I think there's no value for experience in Bangladesh.

Your contest with Tamim in getting to 5000 Test runs first?

(MR): He [Tamin] knows all these things [records] and he was close. He told me, I couldn't get there, you did. He congratulated me.

I always think that it's a better feeling when your brother, teammate or friend achieves something. I was so happy when Tamim broke my highest individual score. He then told me that within the next two or three years, I'll end up breaking his record again. It is a healthy competition, and this is how we as teammates help each other.

Do you feel lucky to have reached this far?

(MR): I don't think it is luck. When I go to practice, most of you are sleeping in the morning.

Do you plan to quit the shortest format?

(MR): I don't have any such plan [of quitting format] and want to play as long as possible across formats if there is an opportunity through my performance and fitness.