Half-century for Mashud
Rabeed Imam from St Lucia.
It didn't dawn on Khaled Mashud that he had just made a little piece of history when a Mohammad Rafique delivery brushed the bat's edge of West Indies left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul and took refuge in his gloves on the third day of the first Test.It was the 30-year old wicket-keeper's 45th catch in Test cricket and add five stumpings to that and you have the first Bangladeshi wicketkeeper to achieve the milestone of 50 dismissals. Mashud, who made his Bangladesh debut way back in 1995 in a one-day international is already a veteran of 75 ODIs and has played in 27 out of the Tigers' 29 Tests. Chirpy, full of life and easygoing, he is also a true professional and is often the last person to leave the training ground. He has made the stumper's position his own and shows no signs of letting his guard down. "It's nice to know that I have 50 dismissals now. When you are a wicketkeeper, these are records you look forward to. But catches and stumpings will come along the way if you continue playing and I wasn't particularly aware of the mark," said Mashud after he was told his feat at close of play on day three. The man from Rajshahi however thought that with Bangladesh fast improving, he is becoming busier behind the wicket. "I'm getting more catches now. There was a time when the opposition would bat for only one innings. Not any more."
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