Mohammad Rafique (cricketer)

Mohammad Rafique

Rafique at BNS in 2005
Personal information
Full name	Mohammad Rafique
Born	(1970-09-05) 5 September 1970 Chandpur,Matlab,Upadi, East Pakistan
Batting	Left-handed
Bowling	Slow left arm orthodox
Role	all rounder
International information
National side	Bangladesh (1995-2007)
Test debut (cap 8)	10 November 2000 v India
Last Test	29 February 2008 v South Africa
ODI debut (cap 27)	5 April 1995 v India
Last ODI	10 June 2007 v Africa XI
ODI shirt no.	77
Only T20I (cap 5)	28 November 2006 v Zimbabwe
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2001–2010	Dhaka Division
2000–2001	Sylhet Division
2008	Dhaka Warriors
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 33 125 62 164 Runs scored 1,059 1,191 1,748 1,551 Batting average 18.57 13.38 18.02 13.14 100s/50s 1/4 0/2 1/9 0/3 Top score 111 77 111 77 Balls bowled 8,744 6,414 16,304 8,429 Wickets 100 125 237 184 Bowling average 40.76 37.91 28.01 31.85 5 wickets in innings 7 1 12 2 10 wickets in match 0 n/a 2 n/a Best bowling 6/77 5/47 7/52 5/16 Catches/stumpings 7/– 28/– 23/– 43/–
Source: CricketArchive, 20 September 2016

Mohammed Rafique (Bengali: মোহাম্মদ রফিক) (born 5 September 1970) is a former Bangladeshi cricketer, who played all formats of the cricket. He is the first consistent cricketer of national cricket team. He also served team sometimes with bat. When Bangladesh team needed quick runs, Mohammad Rafiquee was always sent as an opener. He is the first Man Of the Match for Bangladesh in One Day Internationals for his match winning 77 runs as opener and for taking 3/56 with Ball. One of the best spinners to ever have played for Bangladesh, Rafique was the first Bangladesh bowler to take 100 wickets in Test matches. Rafique has also been honored for his contribution to the cricket world with squad places in both the World XI for the Super Series against Australia in 2005, and the Asia XI for the exhibition series against Africa XI in 2007.

Domestic career

He started his career as a left arm seamer with the 2nd Division side, Bangladesh Sporting, in 1985. In 1988, he joined Bangladesh Biman cricket team. There, under the influence of the Pakistani allrounder Wasim Haider he converted to slow orthodox spin bowling.^[1]

In December 1994 he played for the Bangladesh team in the 2nd SAARC cricket tournament where he had a 3/25 in the Bangladesh win against India "A".^[2]

He was a member of the Bangladesh team that won the 1997 ICC Trophy. Overall, in 9 matches, he took 19 wickets at an average of 10.68. His best 4/25 came in the Semi-Final against Scotland. With his spinning partner Enamul Haque Moni taking 12 wickets in the tournament. In the final against Kenya he had scored valuable 26 of 15 deliveries. ^[3]

Rafique was banned—with 13 professional players—for ten years from all forms of cricket by the Bangladesh Cricket Board following his enrolment in the Indian Cricket League (ICL) in August 2008,^[4][5] but renounced his ties with the ICL a year later and has since been accepted back into the fold.^[6] He is still playing first-class cricket for Dhaka Division and recently starred in the Big Boss T20 Premier League with a match-winning performance for Abahani Limited in the final.

International career

A slow-left-arm orthodox bowler, Rafique was one of the few Bangladeshi players in the ICC bowler rankings' top fifty. He has become a permanent fixture in the national team, and is a household name in Bangladesh. He has achieved the double of 100 wickets and 1000 runs in both formats.

One of the most senior players in the Bangladesh team, Rafique was better known for his abilities in ODIs early in his career. He was nevertheless selected to play in Bangladesh's inaugural Test against India, and showed his promise with three wickets.

His career was almost derailed soon afterwards, when he was reported to the ICC for a suspect action. He was tardy in taking remedial action, and was out of the national team until 2002, when he was picked for the home series against South Africa. His return to cricket was classy and promising, with a six-wicket haul in the second Test against South Africa. He was the highest wicket-taker for Bangladesh in the home Test series against India, and the second highest during the away tour to Zimbabwe.

Rafique is also known as a handy, hard-hitting lower-order batsman. His 77 versus Kenya in May 1998 at Hyderabad was instrumental in Bangladesh's first ever ODI win against Kenya. With the ball, he took 3/56, and was adjudged the man of the match. He also scored a Test century against the West Indies in Bangladesh's drawn Test.^[7] Also he scored 65 against Australia in 2005-6, including six sixes.^[8]

He was instrumental in steering Bangladesh to a series whitewash against the Kenyans, and recorded his best match figures in Tests against Australia in a match they only narrowly lost. Rafique had a successful 2007 World Cup, taking eight wickets and helping Bangladesh to win games against India and South Africa.

Rafique announced his international retirement on 7 February 2008.^[9] Bangladesh's home series against South Africa was his last for the national team. He became the first Bangladeshi to ever take the milestone of 100 test wickets by having Robin Peterson caught at first slip by Junaid Siddique on 1 March during the second test. Out of 53 players who have scored 1,000 runs and taken 100 wickets in Test cricket, Rafique was the first to have represented Bangladesh.^[10]

International centuries

Test centuries

Test centuries of Mohammad Rafique
No	Runs	Match	Against	City/Country	Venue	Start date	Result
[1]	111	11	West Indies	Gros Islet, St Lucia	Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium	28 May 2004	Drawn

International record

Test 5 Wicket hauls

#	Figures	Match	Opponent	Venue	City	Country	Year
1	6/77	3	South Africa	Bangabandhu National Stadium	Dhaka	Bangladesh	2003
2	5/118	5	Pakistan	Arbab Niaz Stadium	Peshawar	Pakistan	2003
3	5/36	6	Pakistan	Multan Cricket Stadium	Multan	Pakistan	2003
4	6/122	13	New Zealand	Bangabandhu National Stadium	Dhaka	Bangladesh	2004
5	5/65	17	Zimbabwe	MA Aziz Stadium	Chittagong	Bangladesh	2005
6	5/114	21	Sri Lanka	R Premadasa Stadium	Colombo	Sri Lanka	2005
7	5/62	25	Australia	Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium	Fatullah	Bangladesh	2006

ODI 5 Wicket hauls

#	Figures	Match	Opponent	Venue	City	Country	Year
1	5/47	88	Kenya	Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium	Fatullah	Bangladesh	2006

International awards

One Day International Cricket

Man of the Match awards

S No	Opponent	Venue	Date	Match Performance	Result
1	Kenya	Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad	17 May 1998	10-0-56-3 ; 77 (87 balls: 11x4, 1x6)	Bangladesh won by 6 wickets.[11]
2	Zimbabwe	Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka	31 January 2005	10-1-34-2 ; 72 (66 balls: 7x4, 4x6)	Bangladesh won by 8 wickets.[12]
3	Kenya	Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium, Fatullah	23 March 2006	33 (29 balls: 4x4, 1x6) ; 10-0-47-5	Bangladesh won by 20 runs.[13]
4	Zimbabwe	Harare Sports Club, Harare	30 July 2006	33 (44 balls: 1x4, 1x6) ; 10-1-24-2	Bangladesh won by 62 runs.[14]

References

External links

• Cricinfo Profile
• CricketArchive Profile