The version that sparked his debut seven years ago, the version in which he was once the most effective, has faded away in ODIs. His victim in the last 15 ODIs only 11! The bowling average is around fifty, taking more than 62 balls to take a wicket each.
The most noticeable deterioration was in his Mirpur performance. This Sher-e-Bangla Stadium was his favorite arena. He had 47 catches in his first 20 matches at this ground. In the last 5 matches, he got a total of 1 wicket!
All in all, his performance is going up in the charts. At the press conference at the end of the second ODI, the captain’s words also showed that the expectations of the team are not fully reflected in Mustafiz’s bowling.
“It will not be right to say that I am not getting service (from Mustafiz). But I definitely want him to do better. If he can take wickets, it definitely helps (the team), especially when playing with two pacers.”
“His defensive skills are great. But if he adds wicket-taking ability, that will be great. I’m sure, he knows it too. He will work and hopefully match himself in the next match.”