Mushfiqur Rahim Set for Long-Awaited Test Debut in Australia After 21-Year Wait

Former Bangladeshi captain Mushfiqur Rahim is set to play his first test match in Australia since he started playing for the national team. For the wicket-keeper batsman, the moment is a surreal one as the long wait to play in one of the most successful cricketing nations is finally over.

Bangladesh are touring Australia for their first Test series there since 2003, facing a formidable challenge against a full-strength home side in a World Test Championship contest.

The visitors kicked off their preparations with an intense training session at the DXC Arena, the venue for the opening Test beginning on August 13. The first group of Bangladesh players arrived in Darwin on Saturday, while Litton Das and the remaining members of the squad, who departed Dhaka on August 2, are expected to join the team soon.

Interestingly, Mushfiqur is the only member of Bangladesh’s celebrated ‘Fab Five’ still fully committed to life on the field. His contemporaries, Mashrafe Mortaza, Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah, have all taken different paths away from international cricket.

Where Is The ‘FAB FIVE’?

Shakib al Hasan

Shakib, who left Bangladesh following the political upheaval of July 2024 and the subsequent fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, continues to feature in franchise cricket around the world. However, his political career as a former Awami League Member of Parliament has become an equally prominent part of his public identity.

Mashrafe Mortaza

Mortaza has similarly stayed largely away from public life since the political turmoil. After entering politics under the Awami League banner in 2018 and contesting consecutive general elections, his identity has increasingly shifted from cricket to politics.

Tamim Iqbal

Tamim has moved into administration, becoming president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board after retiring from international cricket. Mahmudullah, meanwhile, has begun preparing for his post-playing career. Although he continues to appear in domestic cricket, he has taken up mentoring duties with the BCB’s Under-19 setup and is set to travel with Bangladesh A as batting coach for the Top End T20 Series in Australia.

Mushfiqur Rahim

Mushfiqur, by contrast, has remained devoted to playing cricket. Even as his contemporaries moved into politics, administration and coaching, he continued to maintain his reputation for being among the first at training and one of the last to leave. The wait for an Australian Test has been particularly long. Mushfiqur is Bangladesh’s only cricketer to have crossed the 100-Test mark, but despite making his Test debut more than two decades ago, he had never played a Test in Australia.

Those close to the veteran believe he expected the opportunity to arrive much sooner, particularly after Bangladesh secured their historic Test victory over Australia in Mirpur in 2017. However, another series in Australia did not materialise, leaving Mushfiqur to wait almost another decade.

That prolonged wait appears to have only intensified his preparation. He has reportedly worked extensively on his own in the build-up to the series, speaking to friends based in Australia to understand the conditions he could encounter at this time of year. He has also opted to carry a slightly lighter bat, expecting the surfaces to encourage more shots square of the wicket.

The veteran has paid particular attention to dealing with the inswinger, knowing he could face the threat of Australia’s premier pace duo, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.
Former Bangladesh captain and BCB chief selector Habibul Bashar believes Mushfiqur deserves the chance to fulfil his long-standing ambition after years of dedication.

“Every Test match is important, even the ones against Zimbabwe, from a personal side, this will probably be his (Mushfiqur) last Test match in Australia,” Bashar said. “He will obviously try to do something special and he deserves something like this (fulfilling the dream of playing against Australia at their own backyard) for all his hard work,” he added.

For Mushfiqur, the Australia tour represents much more than another assignment. It is the culmination of a dream that has taken more than 20 years to realise. With his first Test in Australia finally within reach, the veteran will know this could be his only opportunity to make a lasting impression on Australian soil.