Akram wants Mustafizur to continue IPL

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director Akram Khan wants pacer Mustafizur Rahman to continue Indian Premier League (IPL) instead of playing the upcoming five-match T20 series against Zimbabwe. According to Akram, the former national skipper, the IPL will hone Mustafizur's skill more which eventually will benefit Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup. Mustafizur is playing for Chennai Super Kings and so far took 10 wickets in five matches which put him in the second spot of the wicket-taker list in the world's most influential T20 tournament. But the BCB provided him the NOC until April 30 as Bangladesh will play a T20 series against Zimbabwe at home, starting from May 3. "I think he will learn a lot from there in IPL because he is playing in a team like CSK, which was boasted with big names. There is player like Mahendra Singh Dhoni and there are a lot of big players. It's a life time experience to share the dressing room with the players like their caliber," Akram said here today. "The standard of IPL is top class. He has the opportunity to play in different kind of wickets and against different players, which eventually will enhance his skill," he added. What made Akram happier is the form of Mustafizur Rahman as he looked to have found his rhythm there after struggling to make impact in the Bangladesh national team for the last one year. "We were worried about his form in the last one year. He has been struggling. But now what we have seen that he has been doing very well in the IPL. It's good news for us. Since he is not playing Test cricket, I think he should continue to play IPL. It will eventually benefit Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup," Akram added. However, if the BCB sticks to their decision to continue his NOC till April 30, Mustafizur will have the opportunity to play three more matches for CSK. Akram particularly was elated with the way CSK is using him in every match. Even though Mustafizur had a bad day against Mumbai Indians in the last game in which he conceded 55 runs for one wicket in four overs, he made an impact, with a tough catch that accounted the wicket of Suryakumar Yadav. "If you can use Mustafizur well, you can be benefited hugely by him, something which we can see in Dhoni's team. Their way of using Mustafizur is excellent. From what we have seen, they used Mustafizur brilliantly against KKR. This is also a learning curve for Mustafizur. Hopefully he will learn a lot in CSK tent," he added. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha