The rapid rise of Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Unraveling the Enigma of Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the ODI World Cup: Precision, Aggression, and a Multitude of Variations
Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s dazzling performance left cricket enthusiasts baffled as he wielded his arsenal, consisting of the carrom ball, off-break, and googly, to bewilder England at the Kotla, ultimately leading Afghanistan to a resounding 69-run victory.
By Sandip G Published: October 16, 2023
Joe Root, renowned as one of England’s most adept spin players in the sub-continent during this century, found himself bamboozled by a simple yet cunning ploy by Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman. In their initial encounters, Root ventured forward to confront Mujeeb’s mystifying deliveries. The Afghan spinner played along, studying Root’s moves. However, as Root’s confidence grew, he resorted to playing spinners off the back foot, utilizing his nimble hands to ward off any potential threats.
In this gripping contest of skills and wits, Root encountered his match in Mujeeb. The Afghan magician unleashed an off-break, his deceptive change-up delivery, which sneaked through Root’s defense to rattle the stumps. The ball maintained a slightly lower trajectory, thanks to Mujeeb’s unorthodox grip – he clutches the ball between his thumb and forefinger, using the middle finger as a pivot, and releases it with a graceful wristy flourish. Later, Mujeeb’s stock carrom ball claimed Harry Brook as its victim, and the tantalizingly floated googly outfoxed Chris Woakes.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman is officially categorized as an off-spinner, but he seldom serves up traditional off-breaks. He actively dispels this misconception. In intros for his former Big Bash League team, he humbly introduces himself as “Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman, the enigmatic carrom-ball spinner from Khost, Afghanistan.” In an interview with the Sunrisers Hyderabad channel, he questions the off-spinner label and asserts his preference: “Call me a carrom-ball spinner.”
The label suits him perfectly because the carrom ball is his bread and butter. Mujeeb’s excellence lies in consistently executing this finger-flicked delivery. Unlike most bowlers who deploy it as an occasional variation or novelty, Mujeeb relies on it as his primary weapon, not out of necessity but because it’s his greatest strength. Just as a leg-spinner is known for the googly, or an off-spinner for their conventional deliveries, why not recognize him as the carrom-ball maestro?
In addition to Joe Root, Mujeeb has claimed illustrious right-handed victims like Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. In essence, Mujeeb operates on a counterintuitive premise: batsmen are more troubled by deliveries moving away from them than those that come back into them. What confounds batsmen most is that he employs a nearly identical grip for both the carrom ball and the wrong’un. The ball rests between his index finger and thumb, with the middle finger cushioning it, before he propels it anti-clockwise. The basics are the same for the wrong’un, except that the release comes from the back of his hand. Subtle differences include the wrong’un being loftier, resulting in more prodigious turn than the carrom ball. It also dips lower, and the release point is slightly shifted. Yet, despite their keen observation, most batsmen struggle to discern any clues from his grip.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s enigmatic craft continues to perplex even the sharpest cricket minds, proving that he is a true master of his unique artistry.
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