SL vs BAN | I think there's no value for experience in Bangladesh, says Mushfiqur Rahim

Mushfiqur Rahim made a passionate, hyperbolic pitch in the press conference following the fourth day's play. On the same day, he scored his eighth Test century, making him the first Bangladeshi player to reach 5000 Test runs.

"Only in Bangladesh, I have seen that people compare me to Bradman when I score a century, but then when I don't score runs, I feel like digging a hole for myself. I am one of the senior players, so we are not going to be around for long. But this is becoming a culture, so the younger players need the support. If I have to spend so much time tackling these things off the field, our on-field duties get affected."

In recent months, the right-handed hitter has gone through some tough times, failing to break the three-digit mark in 18 innings since his double century against Zimbabwe in 2020. The only occasion he came near was against Pakistan in 2021, when he scored 91 runs. During this time, the only other fifty-plus score occurred during a recent visit to South Africa.

Mushfiqur achieved his century on Wednesday at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium with a faint tickle off Asitha Fernando down the leg side and celebrated the milestone with a fist pump after exchanging words and glares with the bowler. His celebration appeared to be directed at the bowler.

At the end of the day's play, Mushfiqur said, "I am sure I am allowed a bit of celebration after scoring a hundred, isn't it? He (Fernando) was bowling at me in the heat. Both their fast bowlers were fantastic. Such a battle usually motivates you. We did exchange a few words, but that's part of cricket. We later appreciated each other. However, he remained critical of the critics who don't support players through their low phase. "(What is being said) is not desirable for a player,"

Rahim further said, "I think there's no value for experience in Bangladesh. It is a huge deal to have played for 17 years. Allah has written what awaits me, and I want to perform that much well,"

Despite his frustration, the keeper-batter had a historic day. His efforts helped Bangladesh gain a 68-run lead over Sri Lanka in the first innings and helped him overcome Tamim Iqbal in the race for 5000 runs.

Mushfiqur, who started the day with 53 runs, knew he needed 15 more runs to hit the historic milestone, and it took him 48 deliveries to get there. With a push towards fine leg off Asitha, he hit the mark for a two.

"It is a great feeling to become the first Bangladeshi to reach 5,000 Test runs. But I am sure I am not the last one. There'll be a lot of capable players among our seniors and juniors who can reach 8,000 or 10,000 runs," said Rahim.

"My goal (in my debut Test) was to play the second Test (laughs). I didn't do well in my first Test. Being a 'keeper-batsman, I always gave priority to Tests. You are judged by how many big hundreds you get in the format. I always wanted to play Tests for a long time so that I can make big achievements as an individual and a team. There's no limit to success, and I am very happy with my achievement."

He beat out his teammate Tamim Iqbal, who had retired hurt after scoring a century on Day 3, in the course of reaching that milestone. On Wednesday, the southpaw batted again but was removed without adding to his overnight score of 133.

Mushfiqur, who achieved his slowest Test century, fought in the sweltering heat for seven hours and 48 minutes. His choice to avoid using his famed reverse sweep for the whole of his innings contributed significantly to his prolonged survival, but he stressed that he is not ready to abandon his high-risk, high-reward shot.