'He's a difficult customer' - Ashton Agar feels Mustafizur Rahman is difficult to face due to his variations

Bangladesh have so far dominated Australia in a five-match T20I series by winning two games on the bounce in Dhaka. Surprisingly, the Men in Yellow have not shown enough fight and character to outclass their rivals. During the second T20I, it was again the Bangladesh bowlers who put a choke on the Australia batters and restricted them to just 121.

Led by Bangladesh pace spearhead Mustafizur Rahman, who picked up three wickets, the hosts didn’t allow the Australia batters to have any rhythm whatsoever. The left-hand bowler used his variations to good effect and mixed it up smartly by bowling the off-cutters, slower balls and seam-up delivery.

All-rounder Ashton Agar noted this very fact of Mustafizur and mentioned how difficult it is to face the left-arm pacer with so many variations at his disposal. “Man, he is a difficult customer,” is how Agar reacted when asked about Mustafizur during the press conference after Bangladesh’s five-wicket victory against the Aussies in the second T20I in Mirpur yesterday.

Agar further opined on how Mustafizur’s slower balls are very hard to pick and difficult to score runs during the later stages of the innings. “He is really good. His ability to bowl that slower ball [is very good]. If you watch it in slow motion, [you will see] he pretty much does it with his wrist and his fingers. It’s incredible, incredible skill,” added Agar.

Mustafizur Rahman’s variations are what makes him a dangerous bowler: Aston Agar

Rahman yet again showed his class in the second T20I by picking up key wickets of Josh Phillippe, Matthew Wade and Ashton Agar. He gave away just 23 runs in return and proved to be the game-changer for the hosts. Agar felt his variations and his use of the slower ball is what makes him a dangerous bowler.

“It’s a great slower ball as well because it’s not too slow and It’s got a lot of revolution. It might kick quite a bit off the surface, it might go low, might not or, it might spin a lot. It’s super variable. And he gives himself that opportunity to put [variations] as much as he can on the ball,” said Agar.