Asia Cup 2018: Ramiz Raja rates Mashrafe Mortaza as the best captain of the event

Former Pakistan cricketer and commentator Ramiz Raja rated Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza as the best captain of this Asia Cup. Bangladesh faced off against defending champions India in the final of the tournament, but the Men in Blue somehow won the match off the final delivery. This is the second consecutive time that India have defeated Bangladesh in an Asia Cup final.

Mashrafe Mortaza had already spoken highly of his side, especially the way his players had performed in this edition of the Asia Cup. The veteran pacer is Bangladesh’s most successful captain in ODIs, with a win percentage higher than the likes of Shakib Al Hasan and Habibul Bashar.

The Tigers began their Asia Cup campaign in style, routing Sri Lanka in the opening fixture of the tournament. Although they lost to India in the Super 4, they were clinical against Pakistan in a virtual semi-final. A 37-run victory meant Bangladesh would once again face off against India to fight for the trophy.

Injury woes for Mashrafe and Co.

However, Bangladesh had suffered a number of injuries during this edition of tournament. Their first major blow was Tamim Iqbal, who broke his wrist while playing against Sri Lanka. In spite of that, the senior batsman came back out to bat with one hand and was subsequently lauded for his courage and determination. Mortaza said that it was Tamim walking out with the bat in one hand that was his ‘winning moment in the Asia Cup’. Even their experienced all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan had to fly back home with an injury and couldn’t take part in the final.

Mashrafe Mortaza was himself playing with a broken finger, while wicket-keeper batsman Mushfiqur Rahim continued to play with his own injuries as well.

Ramiz Raja, who was commentating during the Asia Cup in the UAE, took to Twitter to say, “#AsiaCup2018Final Great final..India were a cut above the rest and the team to beat.. Rohit is an outstanding leader, but for me, the captain of the tournament was Mashrafe Murtaza. He didn’t let Tamim & Shakib’s absence deter his team’s campaign. They almost made it!”

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