Mushfiqur honoured with special ceremony ahead of 100th Test

Bangla Press Desk:   Mushfiqur Rahim received a grand honour on Wednesday morning as he became the first Bangladeshi cricketer to reach the historic milestone of 100 Test matches. A special ceremony was held before the start of the opening day’s play of the second Test against Ireland at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.

In a touching tribute to his remarkable journey, Mushfiqur was presented with two commemorative jerseys — one signed by his teammates from his debut Test against England at Lord’s in 2005, and the other autographed by the current Bangladesh Test squad.

His first Test captain Habibul Bashar and current skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto jointly handed over the jerseys, symbolising Mushfiqur’s two-decades-long contribution to the national side. 

Habibul, who had first presented Mushfiqur with his Baggy Green-style Test cap in 2005, also gifted him a specially made commemorative cap for the occasion.

Bangladesh’s first Test cricketer Akram Khan then stepped forward to present a ceremonial casket holding the milestone cap, before Mushfiqur was also honoured with a plaque from the Bangladesh Cricket Board president Aminul Islam Bulbul and Cricket operations chairman Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, who is also Mushfiqur’s long-time mentor.

The ceremony was hosted by former Bangladesh cricketer and commentator Athar Ali Khan and attended by several members of Mushfiqur’s journey from his debut era, including Mohammad Rafique, Khaled Masud Pilot, Nafis Iqbal, Anwar Hossain Monir, Talha Jubair, Shahriar Nafees, and Mohammad Ashraful — all part of the famous 2005 Lord’s Test. Mushfiq’s family was present at the ceremony as well.

An emotional Mushfiqur thanked his family, teammates, coaches and supporters for shaping his cricketing life.

“Thanks to Almighty Allah for this great opportunity. I’d like to thank my family — my parents and especially my wife, who sacrificed a lot of sleepless nights,” Mushfiqur said. “Most importantly, my teammates, coaches, friends back home and all my fans. I will always try to give my 100% for Bangladesh cricket. Hopefully we will have a great match to celebrate, Inshallah.”

Shanto praised the senior cricketer for his intensity and selfless commitment to the team.

“Congratulations! It’s a brilliant achievement for you and your family,” Shanto said. “Everyone talks about your madness on the field and your hard work, but what inspires us most is that you always play for the team, not for individual milestones.”

BP/SP