‘Got back my rhythm at the right time’

Mustafizur Rahman reignited expectations of him ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup following his impressive performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he scalped 14 wickets in nine matches.

The country's second-most wicket-taker in T20Is is a vital cog in Bangladesh's bowling unit, which is considered as their main strength heading into the major event. The left-arm pacer had a good outing in his debut T20 World Cup in 2016 when he took nine wickets in three matches but failed to do justice to his reputation in the following two events, bagging eight wickets in seven matches and three wickets in five, respectively.

Now, the question remains: can the 28-year-old pacer channel his IPL sizzle to the national colours in the USA and the West Indies?

The Daily Star's Bishwajit Roy caught up with the pacer, who is known as a man of few words but opened up a bit to discuss various issues ahead of the mega event. The excerpts of the interview are as follows:

The Daily Star (DS): What expectations do you have going into your fourth T20 world Cup?

MR: I can say a lot of things beforehand but it may not happen on the field. So, it's better not to say anything about what we want to do, rather we should focus on how we can play to our potential.

DS: How has the preparation been for you personally? Has the stint in the IPL boosted your confidence?

MR: What I can say is that everything is good on my part. After the Bangladesh Premier League, I performed well in the IPL and then I had the opportunity to play two matches with the national team against Zimbabwe. I must say I got back my rhythm at the right time -- ahead of the T20 World Cup. When you are in a good flow, everything will fall into right place. I am now looking forward to the World Cup.

DS: Tell us about the wide-angle delivery that brought you success in the IPL?

MR: All the players were good in the IPL. I got some ideas there but at the end of the day, you have to do your job. In the T20 format, you will not be successful in every match but you must keep your basics right.  Mahi bhai [MS Dhoni] helped me regarding field setups. Other players as well as [Dwayne] Bravo spoke to me about how to bowl at the death. I tried my best to follow their suggestions and got the results in some matches.

DS: How important is field setups for a bowler in T20s?

MR: Sometimes small things can bring big success. My teammates' suggestions in the IPL were invaluable. In the national team, we also practise it. But as I said, in T20 cricket there is no guarantee that you will be successful in every match.

DS: What is the condition of your in-swinger?

MR: Our former pace bowling coach Ottis Gibson had a big impact in developing my in-swinger. Initially, I was only able to get the ball to swing inwards on one or two occasions but Gibson helped me develop my technique in this regard. Yes, I tried it less in the last few games since when I attempted those deliveries, they kept landing as half-trackers.

DS: Your observation on the changing dynamics of T20 cricket?

MR: If I am not wrong, in my first T20 World Cup in 2016, it was difficult for the opponents to chase down 150 but now 200 is not safe. Fans love to watch more fours and sixes and accordingly, the pattern of the game is changing.

DS: Do you enjoy bowling at the death?

MR: I enjoy bowling in any phase whether it is in the Powerplay or at the death. The team always comes first to me. I always want to fulfil the team's demands. I never look at my own interests.

DS: Tell us about the strength of this current Bangladesh bowling unit?

MR: Overall, we have a very good bowling unit, especially with the inclusion of a genuine leg-spinner [Rishad Hossain] which has added real variety. It's a big advantage when you have a leg-spinner in the side. You cannot expect five wickets from a leg-spinner every day, so we have to keep our patience. I think a leg-spinner is most important if you want to win T20 matches. This is really exciting that this time we are going to the World Cup with a genuine leg-spinner.

DS: How far do you think Bangladesh can go in this World Cup?

MR: It's difficult for me to make any comments regarding this question right at this moment.

DS: What memories do you have regarding your past T20 World Cups?

MR: It's always a good feeling to play for your national team. You can only recall memories if you did something big. We had a chance to play the semifinals in Australia in the last T20 World Cup but it did not happen. We have a good team this time…senior players, then our generation and of course the young players. It's a good combination. Let's see what we can do on the field.