Bangladesh veteran Mashrafe Mortaza withdraws from national team contract

Veteran Bangladesh cricketer Mashrafe Mortaza, who also happens to be his country’s ODI captain, has withdrawn from the lucrative contract that he had with the national team. The 36-year-old injury-prone pacer’s form and fitness have come under the scanner of late and he has also been offered a ‘grand farewell’ game.

Mashrafe, who is also a member of Bangladesh’s parliament after he won the election in 2018 on the ticket of the ruling Awami League, has continued as the captain even after beginning his political career. But an ordinary form in the ICC World Cup in England last year where he could pick just one wicket in eight outings raised serious question marks over his future. Having made his international debut in 2001, Mortaza has played 36 Tests, 217 ODIs and 54 T20Is to take 386 wickets — 266 of which have in the 50-over format (highest for his country).

Mortaza has also struggled in the ongoing Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League as he has managed to take just eight wickets in 12 games while captaining Dhaka Platoon who lost in the eliminator to Chattogram Challengers on Monday.

Mashrafe Mortaza will lose minimum monthly salary and lucrative deals

Bangladesh Cricket Board President Nazmul Hasan told the media that Mortaza did not wish to continue as a contracted player and his proposal has been accepted. The cricketer will lose a guaranteed monthly income of at least $5,000 and other lucrative deals as a result of this.

Hasan, however, added that Bangladesh will organise a farewell match for the veteran cricketer, who is among one of the biggest the country has produced. The board had offered him a game against Zimbabwe last September as a testimonial one but Mortaza did not agree.

“We want to give him a grand farewell in a way that no other player got. Now if he agrees, then it’s okay. But if he doesn’t want it, we have nothing to do,” Hasan was quoted as saying by Sportstar about the cricketer who has undergone several knee operations but hasn’t spoken about his retirement plan yet.

“I am just enjoying whatever I am playing now. I don’t know whether I will retire from the field, I have not yet decided,” he told reporters last week. “There is a matter of selection. I don’t automatically count myself in the team after taking one wicket in eight matches. If the selectors think that they will give me a chance, I will definitely try my best to fulfil their expectations,” he added.

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