“Mustafiz is a champion, he has been playing for a long time, a very skillful bowler. We obviously know what kind of skills he brings. I think if someone performs so well at the international level for such a long time, and then also does really well in the IPL, that’s certainly admirable,” Ten Doeschate said.
The ex-Netherlands star further emphasized that respecting opponents is key in cricket.
“As I’ve said before, we respect our opponents. They have many good players in their team, and Mustafiz is probably one of the best bowlers we have ever known.”
Mustafiz’s current form in the ongoing Asia Cup reflects exactly why such praise is coming his way.
Despite going wicketless against Hong Kong China in Bangladesh’s opening fixture, he bounced back strongly in the following games.
The left-arm pacer picked up three wickets against Afghanistan in the group stage and followed it up with another stellar performance in the Super Four clash against Sri Lanka, conceding just 20 runs in four overs while taking three crucial wickets to choke the opposition batters.
So far, Mustafiz has claimed 7 wickets in 4 matches of the tournament.
His presence has been pivotal for Bangladesh: remarkably, the Tigers have lost all eight matches this year in which Mustafiz was absent. With the team eyeing a place in the Asia Cup final, all eyes will once again be on the “Fizz” to deliver with the ball.
