Sports Desk:

The sun beat down relentlessly on the Bir Shreshtha Shaheed Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Cricket Stadium on Saturday morning. Despite the sweltering conditions, the mood in the

Zimbabwe camp remained lively, still riding high on the confidence of their historic win in the Sylhet Test.

Meanwhile, preparations were underway for the Bangladesh team’s practice session scheduled at 2 PM. But long before the others arrived, Mushfiqur Rahim turned up alone at 12PM, quietly heading to the nets to get some extra work in.

The veteran batter has been under scrutiny for his recent lack of form, with his performances—or lack of it—becoming a constant topic at press conferences. Saturday was no exception.

At the BSSFLMRCS press conference room, it was Jaker Ali who had to respond to the familiar question about Mushfiqur. However, he offered a measured defense.

“Look, he’s not the only player in the side. He doesn’t have to score all the runs all the time. We all have to contribute. Right now, he might not be scoring, and that’s okay. It can happen to anyone. The responsibility is on all of us,” he said.

To make his point, Jaker highlighted the example of lower-order batter Hasan Mahmud, who dug in and added 12 runs from 58 balls in a crucial late partnership on Day Four of the Sylhet Test.

“If not runs, at least we need to show fight—like Hasan did. His batting in the last innings was excellent. I loved it. He fought. Not everyone will score every day, but we must show intent. If we do that, I believe the big runs will come,” Jaker added.

Pressed again about the team’s ongoing struggles with the bat, Jaker was clear: “I think we all need to step up.”