Mushfiqur is the perfect role model

I was already a regular member of the Bangladesh team when Mushfiqur Rahim arrived on the scenes in 2005 in the England tour. He announced himself by scoring a hundred and a fifty in practice matches against County sides. He then made his Test debut at Lord's as a specialist batter as Pilot bhai (Khaled Mashud) was still our wicketkeeper. But after the Lord's Test, he unfortunately twisted his ankle while coming down the staircase and had to return home.

From the very beginning, we all could see that he was a bright kid -- a talented cricketer who was also excellent in academics.

In 2007, Mushfiqur was going through a difficult phase and was dropped. He returned to domestic cricket, scored over 600 runs in the Dhaka Premier League for BKSP and returned for the Sri Lanka tour, which was also my first tour as captain.

Pilot bhai and Mushfiqur were both in the Test squad. Pilot Bhai played the first Test, which we lost heavily. After the match, he told me, "Ashraful, if you feel you should rest me and play Mushfiqur, do it." He knew Mushfiqur was the better batter at that stage. So, in the second Test, I brought him back into the XI. In the second innings, I scored 129 not out, and he scored 80. From that point on, he was settled in Test cricket.

Later, when Mushfiqur became captain, we again toured Sri Lanka in 2013. Before leaving, I told the journalists that if I score a hundred, I had a feeling that I would convert it into a double hundred. I ended Day 3 of the Galle Test on 189 while Mushfiqur was on 152. I was dismissed for 190 the next day, but he went onto become Bangladesh's first double centurion.

Since 2013, Mushfiqur has shown that he belongs among the top batters in the world. He has three double centuries, and more importantly, he scored two of them while keeping wickets -- a world record.

What I admire most about Mushfiqur is his extraordinary discipline. From 2004 until today, he has lived the same structured life: asleep by 10:00pm, up for Fajr, and then straight to training after performing namaz.

This consistency has shaped his entire career. His achievements, combined with his discipline, has made him the perfect role model for all future Bangladesh cricketers. I consider myself fortunate to share the dressing room with him during his 99th and 100th Tests.

*The writer is the specialised batting coach of the national team