BCB President hints at return of Mashrafe Mortaza in T20I

Veteran Bangladeshi pacer Mashrafe Mortaza recently announced his retirement from the shortest format of the game. Prior to the commencement of the T20I series against Sri Lanka, Mortaza had announced that the series would be his last. He lead the team to a series leveling effort as the Bangladesh team stunned the Sri Lankans with a 1-1 scoreline. He had also announced the same to his fans on the social media.

Now, as per the recent news in the BDNews24, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Nazmul Hassan has insisted that Mashrafe Mortaza has not retired from the format. His recent remarks have left the fans and the cricket world absolutely perplexed. Hassan said that he has constantly been saying that Mortaza has not quit the format. He added that the veteran player has only stepped down from captaincy in the format.

Adding further to the note, Nazmul noted that if the team wants his services, the board will definitely not let him go. He wishes to have three captains for the three different formats of the game. “I keep repeating the same thing, Mashrafe has not yet left T20s. We have not yet told Mashrafe that he is not in the T20 squad. He stepped down from captaincy.

“I keep repeating the same thing, Mashrafe has not yet left T20s. We have not yet told Mashrafe that he is not in the T20 squad. He stepped down from captaincy,” quipped the BCB President.

Nazmul cited that Mortaza has been one of the best players for the team and there is something special about him. He remarked that when they appointed him as the captain of the limited overs, Mashrafe Mortaza was not even in the squad. Hence, the board knows his real value.

“Apart from Bangladesh, no-one saw any news about who stepped down from T20 captaincy. I’m seeing this only in Bangladesh. Other countries talk about one-day, Tests, not T20s. Because he is a player. Not just a player, he has been leading the team. Besides, retirement from the game can be depressing, it’s not unnatural. I would feel the same,” he said.

“When he was made captain for the T20 and one-day teams, he was not even in the squad. He was then recovering from an injury. There was obviously something special in consideration when he was made [captain]. He successfully completed the role, we are also very proud of him for that,” Hassan added further.