'A proper professional': Arthur praises Mustafizur after IPL removal

Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman's exclusion from the Indian Premier League (IPL) has sparked widespread discussion in recent days. The issue has also triggered a series of off-field developments, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) even holding talks with the International Cricket Council (ICC) over the possibility of relocating their upcoming ICC T20 World Cup matches from India.

Despite the off-field uncertainty, Mustafizur has remained unfazed and continues to impress in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) while representing Rangpur Riders. The left-arm pacer has claimed nine wickets in five matches so far and currently sits third on the tournament's leading wicket-takers' list.

Rangpur Riders head coach Mickey Arthur admitted his disappointment over Mustafizur's IPL situation but insisted that it has had little to no impact on the bowler's performance or mindset.

"Fizz is just a proper professional. He's been incredible for us, he's been superb," Arthur told reporters in Sylhet following his team's optional practice session on Thursday.

"We know his qualities as a bowler. He's as good as anybody in the world, if not better. He's a very good team man and a very humble guy, so there are no issues with managing him."

Arthur added that Mustafizur continues to go about his business with the utmost professionalism.

"He just gets out there every day and does his job to the best of his ability. It's really disappointing for him, given what's happened. He was on a really good contract with KKR [Kolkata Knight Riders], and that is disappointing."

When asked whether he had spoken to Mustafizur separately about the situation, Arthur confirmed that he had.

"Yes, we did have a quick chat about it," he said. "There's a bit of a language barrier between Fizz and me, but we understood each other. We talked it through, finished it up, and moved on."