ZCZC
BSP-27
CRICKET-MASHRAFE-EMOTIONAL
Tomorrow’s game will be emotional for Mashrafe: Rhodes
DHAKA, July 4, 2019 (BSS) – Bangladesh head coach Steve Rhodes insisted that everyone should leave Mashrafe Bin Mortaza to take his own decision about his retirement and it should not get more priority that the team’s last World Cup match against Pakistan on Friday at Lord’s.
Since Bangladesh were eliminated from the World Cup there is wide spread speculation that Mashrafe might end his 18-year long international journey at Lord’s, a most sacred place for any cricketer.
The captain’s performance in the World Cup has come under scrutiny due to the fact that he is not delivering like the way he used to do before- picking only one wicket in seven matches so far.
Rhodes said since it is the last World Cup match for Mashrafe, he is bit emotional and the players want to give him a fitting farewell by winning the match.
”The one thing about Mashrafe with the players is that they respect him incredibly. I often use the word warrior, but he goes to war for the team, does Mashrafe, and people respect that, understand that, and they love him because of that.
The players in the dressing room do love Mash, and this is — he has said it’s his last World Cup, and it will be emotional for him,” said Rhodes
”My job is to, yes, let’s get that done. Let’s understand and respect Mash’s situation regarding his last game in World Cup but then concentrate on the cricket. Hopefully, the boys will give him the right sort of respect playing his last game in the World Cup, but then most importantly, we’ll concentrate on the match,” he said.
Following Mashrafe’s poor performance in the World Cup and his subsequent retirement matter created a huge hype in social media. Rhodes said that the hype in the social media is not affecting the team.
”No it does not affect the team…Lots of media and social media hype. They use the headlines. That’s not really going to effect. You know Mashrafe will decide himself with the ball and I think that and I think everybody should leave that to him,” he said.
A number of retirements from international cricket are on the cards by the end of 2019 World Cup. There have been players who have served their respective teams over the last two decades and one of them is Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, who is yet to clear about his retirement plan.
BSS/SMP/SMM/1915 hrs