Busta Cup boosts Mazharul

Mazharul Haq Mridul is bringing off quite well in West Indies while his team Bangladesh-A is striving to evade more humiliating defeats. The chubby Mazharul, according to some cricket experts, is presently the best suit for slot three where Bangladesh have a need of a sensible technically sound batsman.

Many had been tried there but little success came as a result. Habibul Bashar was pretty watchful at number three, but he wasn't looking comfortable against the new ball. So, he have been pushed down the order at number four where generally the best one of a team bats.

Mazharul's auspicious performance in West Indies gives us a new hope, like a silver lining in the horizon - he could be one of the brightest prospects for his country if he carried on like this. Mindful that Bangladesh stepped into the Caribbean grounds for the first time and they virtually had no practical idea about the weather or the pitch condition of the land.

Busta Cup can be compared to our National League, but unquestionably a lot better in standard. It's the major tournament being carried out in West Indies and usually turns out to be a flourishing ground for the new kids. The Islands like Trinidad, Barbados, Jamaica, Guiana produced a lot of talents in the past. Playing against these Islands isn't a very easy task no matter how deteriorating is the plight of Caribbean cricket presently.

Bangladesh-A couldn't play well despite the fact that they have two batsmen who had continuation with their willows - Mazharul Haq and former Bangladesh captain Akram Khan displayed some vigilance when they batted and eventually came up with some good knocks. Of the two Mazharul was a smash hit. We saw quite a bit of solid knocks coming off his bat in adverse situation.

In fact, this man has enough talents in him to get a position in Bangladesh squad long before - at least a year ago. A customary negligence towards the game had worked as a drawback in his career. Anyway, Mazharul desperately needed a resurrection not to show up as a wasted talent. His hit the big time in Busta Cup, a performance good enough to make the selectors give a second thought before ruling him out.

Mazharul, after that stupendous 144 against Common Wealth Bank Cricket Academy of Australia (CBCA) in January last year, became out of sight for almost 12 months. But, things should have been different. That memorable knock, featured with brave stroke play, was one of the best knocks Dhaka ground had ever seen.

Mazharul himself experienced a 28-day training program in CBCA in Australia in 2000. Rodney Marsh, the chief in the Academy, was quite optimistic about his career thinking the boy would soon emerge as the best batsman in his country. Barring all those prophecies made on him Mazharul's career was falling away alarmingly.

His comeback in the Busta Cup is unique, as it clears the fact that he resolves to take hold of the number-three position in Bangladesh squad. Undoubtedly he is a worthy candidate for that niche right now!