Rahim emerges as Bangladesh's dressing-room heartbeat ahead of second Australia Test

In the Bangladesh dressing room, Mushfiqur Rahim is looked up to as a symbol of discipline — a man who guides his teammates through sheer experience rather than through the captain's armband he no longer wears. As Bangladesh prepare to take on Australia in the second game of the ongoing two-match series at Mackay from August 22, the side will be keenly looking to him to fill that familiar role once more.

“I don't know what will happen when Mushfiqur bhai will not be around,” a senior member of the current Test squad told Cricbuzz, reflecting on the veteran's impact ahead of the Australia tour. “You need someone like him as he gives us that mental strength,” he added.

Twenty-one years of service

Rahim, who recently completed 21 years in Test cricket, has become one of the few cricketers of his generation to play a Test series against Australia in their own backyard. He is Bangladesh’s all-time leading run-scorer in Tests and their most capped player in the format, having debuted against England at Lord’s in May 2005.

His batsmanship aside, what Bangladesh need him for more than anything is as a guide when things are not going their way. In the historic win in Darwin, Rahim scored just 36 but stitched an important 66-run stand with skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto after centurion Tanzid Hasan Tamim’s dismissal. What set him apart was his effort to guide Shanto at the other end, who was approaching three figures, even as the left-hander eventually fell for 84.

A changed man

Gone are the days when Rahim appeared an emotionally driven figure whose mood swung in the dressing room based on his own batting. According to former national teammates, he could be difficult to deal with when the bat failed. But times have changed. The veteran is now better at handling personal disappointment and looks to share his learnings with those around him.

Having retired from white-ball international cricket, Rahim has urged teammates to follow the Mount Maunganui template — where Bangladesh won a historic Test against New Zealand in 2022 — instead of thinking too far ahead.

“The last biggest win that we had in Mount Maunganui, if I am not wrong, we had just one target: to win one session (at a time),” Rahim told his teammates in the dressing room following their historic first-Test win against Australia. “We treated it as a one-day game, and we had to win that day, three sessions out of three, at least two sessions. So, we can break it down like that.”

In a video uploaded by the Bangladesh Cricket Board on Facebook, Rahim urged his teammates to follow the processes rather than fixate on outcomes or the reputations of the opposition.

“Every time we go there, we compete. It doesn't matter the condition, it doesn't matter what pitch. They [the opponents] are also human beings. So, just remember that if you stick to your process, and have faith in the Almighty, the result will take care of itself,” he said.

“There's improvement — sky is only the limit. You can enjoy [the win in Darwin] but the next thing is how can we repeat this again? The only formula is one: day in, day out,” he added, noting a cultural shift in the dressing room.

A culture of shared belief

Rahim pointed to a marked change in attitude among the current red-ball group. “What I can take from this group, especially the red-ball group, are some great memories. So, I am really proud. And the biggest change that I have seen from the last four, five years is that individually, you all want to improve yourself which is very, very important,” he said.

“As an individual, you improve 2 per cent of your game and when you click together as a whole unit, it will impact on these kinds of results. And that's what makes me so, so happy. Because I was there 15, 20 years ago. There were certain individuals who believed only themselves, not a whole group. But now I can feel eight or nine match-winners out of 15 or 16 in this group.”

For Rahim, the team means more than the individual. “The feeling of seeing someone do really well and being able to share that feeling, and when someone doesn’t do well, telling him, ‘Inshallah, the next day will be yours,’ that’s the kind of culture you want to build. It doesn't matter how much you achieve as an individual but for me, how much you achieve as a team, that means a lot to me.”

When Rahim next takes the field with his faded green Test cap, expectations will be high for a statement with the bat. But just as importantly, he will have to guide his teammates through the highs of Darwin and ensure they are not carried away — another reminder of the role he has grown into: a leader who has seen it all.