DHAKA, Jan 13, 2020 (BSS)-Bangladesh ODI skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza said he is ready to leave the captaincy if the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) wants him to do so.
Mashrafe was appointed captain till the ICC World Cup 2019 in England
after which he was supposed to retire from the cricket.
He however didn’t retire and further was appointed as captain during
Bangladesh’s three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka but missed the series
due to his injury.
Tamim Iqbal was the makeshift captain of that series after which
Bangladesh didn’t play any ODI game which technically kept Mashrafe in the
captaincy post.
But the latest development which saw Mashrafe himself pulled him out from
the BCB contract list, raised question about which position he will be in the
team, if the selectors select him for the national team.
Mashrafe’s performance in the World Cup casts a doubt on his return to the
national team just as a player, which the lanky fast bowler, popularly dubbed
as ‘fighter’ also knows well.
“I have already given you a clear message that it’s totally up to the
selectors [whether they would select me in the team],” Mashrafe said here
today.
As per Bangladesh’s tradition, the BCB appoints the captain while the
selectors select the team.
Therefore the BCB will take the decision whether they would keep Mashrafe
as the captain of the side as the fast bowler refused to retire from the
cricket right at the moment.
“If BCB wants me to leave the captaincy, I will leave it. There is no
problem in it,” he added.
“But I told you earlier that I want to play. Not necessarily that I have
to play in the national team. There is domestic league in which I want to
play. There is BPL where I can play if the franchisees show interest towards
me. I am enjoying the game of the cricket and I will continue it,” Mashrafe
said, further indicating that he has no immediate plan to retire from the
cricket.
At the same time he reiterated his decision to not to take any grand
farewell as offered by the BCB.
“As I said you earlier, a player doesn’t play only thinking about national
team. I think I have the freedom to take my decision. There is nothing to
impose pressure on me,” he remarked.
“There are many cricketers of Bangladesh who couldn’t retire from the
ground. I think the likes of Habibul Bashar Sumon was way bigger than me but
he didn’t get any farewell.
Players of Bangladesh bidding goodbye to cricket from the ground is rare.
At one phase I also thought whether I will bid adieu the cricket from the
ground but now I think there is no necessity of it.”
Mashrafe also thanked the BCB for offering him a grand farewell.
“I think the BCB is the guardian of the players and they honoured me by
offering a grand farewell. But my message is clear-I have no intention to get
a farewell from the ground.”