When Mushfiqur Rahim debuted for Bangladesh back in 2005 at the age of 18, Dav Whatmore was the head coach of the Tigers. On the occasion of Mushfiqur's 100th Test, the 71-year-old former Australia batter talked to The Daily Star's Samsul Arefin Khan and shared his observation about Mushfiqur's illustrious career. The excerpts are as follows:

The Daily Star (DS): Mushfiqur is set to become the first Bangladeshi to play 100 Tests. He started playing for Bangladesh during your tenure. Can you share some insights from that time and how you have seen him evolve over the years?

Dav Whatmore (DW): Well, it's a wonderful achievement. Anyone playing their 100th Test match has reached a significant milestone. Bangladesh has been a full member nation for not all that long, really, and now he's reaching a hundred later this week. That's wonderful. I'm very happy for him, very pleased he's done it, and I congratulate him.

Yes, when you play a lot of matches for your country, you obviously have talent, and we saw that very early. He was only a very, very young boy. We took a chance and gave him his debut at Lord's, but he earned it. He scored a hundred in the game before, a practice match, and showed he was the in-form batsman. He certainly didn't get selected for anything other than merit.

DS: There were ups and downs early in his career, especially when he was dropped for performance. How do you see his evolution as a batter, from being inconsistent to serving Bangladesh for over 20 years?

DW: Well, he persevered, didn't he? He's got a lot of patience. You can see it in his batting, he's able to bat for long periods of time. Khaled Mashud Pilot was a good player too, but Mushfiqur had to wait his turn, and he did that very well. When the time came to make a change, he was absolutely the right person to take over. He has proved that he can combine his keeping and batting and still reach a very high level. Again, it's a wonderful effort. It doesn't come easy; it's very difficult physically and mentally, and he has shown he can excel in both areas.

DS: His hard work and dedication are well known. How do you distinguish him from other players, given that cricketers not only need to perform on the field but also maintain themselves off it?

DW: What you're saying is what everyone knows about Mushfiqur. His preparation is outstanding. He leaves nothing to chance. His fitness has been nothing short of excellent and consistent, and that's despite the injuries he's had. He's overcome those injuries and still maintained high levels of fitness. His preparation is as good as anyone who has played the game. Apart from the determination and all the qualities you mentioned, he has the technique, the talent, and a very strong mind to match.

DS: Do you think his statistics fail to fully reflect the hard work he has done for Bangladesh over the last 20 years?

DW: I don't know his numbers, but I do know he has been invaluable to Bangladesh. So forget the numbers, we've all seen how many occasions he has won games for the country. His slog sweep is legendary, one of the best around, and his ability to play off the back foot and drive hard through the off side is incredible. I think we should leave it at that. There's not enough said about him, to be honest. I can't say anything more.

DS: Do you have any message for him on the occasion of his landmark match?

DW: Congratulations and well done.