5 reasons why Bangladesh should sack Mushfiqur Rahim as Test captain
Bangladesh have won 10 out of 104 test matches thus far. Seven of those came under the captaincy of Mushfiqur Rahim. If ever there was a case of numbers not revealing the complete picture, then this would be it. Despite leading his country's recent progress in the Test arena, the wicket-keeper batsman's insipid leadership has come under immense scrutiny.
During the recently completed Test series against South Africa, Mushfiqur's bizarre tactics and woeful body-language played a key role in consigning Bangladesh to defeats by hefty margins. If the first Test saw the visitors go down by 333 runs, the second game witnessed an even bigger mismatch as the Proteas trampled over their frail opponents by an innings and 254 runs. As a consequence, the 30-year old's captaincy future is in serious jeopardy.
Extra Cover: South Africa vs Bangladesh 2017 - Mushfiqur Rahim insists he will not give up captaincy
Here are five solid reasons why Bangladesh should sack Mushfiqur from Test captaincy and give the opportunity to a more suitable leader.
#5 Tactically inept and behaviorally negative
Even though South Africa rolled out a flat surface for the opening Test at the Senwes Park in Potchefstroom, Mushfiqur chose to bowl first after winning a handy toss. Needless to say, the move drew flak from various quarters with plenty of former skippers questioning the rationale behind such a decision.
The hosts made a mockery of the bowling attack and assumed control right from the first ball of the match. Proving that his inexplicable tactics were not an aberration, the Bangladesh captain repeated the same mistake during the second Test at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein.
When his bowlers are being flayed all over the park, any decent captain would be in the thick of things. However, Mushfiqur positioned himself near the boundary and watched the proceedings with a resigned look on his face.
This was arguably the worst display of captaincy seen in recent times. After receiving a hammering, the seasoned campaigner went on to admit that he was not able to 'motivate' his players and even wished that he had not won the toss. From his own admission, he does not possess the basic leadership skills required for captaining an international team.