Getaway, but no escape

After 44 days of cricket, we are just 2 days away from the much-awaited final of the World Cup. Be it England or New Zealand who win it on July 14 at Lord’s, one thing is sure, the game will have a new world champion. In all these days, we saw some unanticipated hits and some unexpected misses while we also saw those, who outlived the expectations. Making a comeback to the international cricket after a year-long ban, Australia opener David Warner impressed with his style. He was aggressive, throughout, as if he was there to prove a point. Shakib Al Hasan was a surprise package all together. Kane Williamson, as calm as monk, guided New Zealand to their second World Cup final with his brilliant batting. Mitchell Starc unleashed mayhem with his yorkers, while Jofra Archer proved his worth in his maiden World Cup appearance for England. A lot of them have impressed, but only one will take home the Player of the Tournament award. Here is a look at all those player who are in contention.

Shakib Al Hasan

Bangladesh failed to make it to the last four of the World Cup but Shakib Al Hasan was in form of his life. Shakib ended a prolific World Cup 2019 with 606 runs, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record of the most runs scored in the group stage. The left-hander hammered two centuries and 6 half-centuries. Not only did he show his grace with the bat, the all-rounder also impressed with his spin bowling. Shakib scalped11 wickets for his side at an economy of 5.39. So this complete player is very much in contention for the player of the tournament, unless the ICC jury is in a mood to not hand the award to a player belonging to the team that did not quite contend for cricket’s greatest prize.

Rohit Sharma

With a World Cup record five  centuries in the 2019 event, India opener Rohit Sharma has been ahead of all other batsmen in the race. The India opener is the leading run scorer in the tournament with 648 runs from nine matches at an average of 81. Alongisde his five tons, he also has one half-century. Rohit was only 27 runs short of surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who leads the list of batsmen with most runs in a single edition of the World Cup, but he managed just a single run as India’s campaign at the World Cup came to an end with a semifinal defeat against New Zealand. Rohit was seen shedding tears then, but he may have something to smile about soon.

Mitchell Starc

Australia suffered their first semifinal defeat in a World Cup as hosts England crushed the five-time champions by 8 wickets to reach their first World Cup final in 27 years.

Although Australia’s World Cup journey ended, Mitchell Starc remains the highest wicket-taker in the tournament. The southpaw has picked 27 wickets in 10 innings at an economy of 5.43. Starc, also the player of the tournament in World Cup 2015, broke Glenn McGrath’s record for most wickets in a single edition of the showpiece event. The pacer also has two five-wicket hauls and two four-wicket hauls in this edition of the tournament to put a strong claim for his second player of the World Cup award in succession.

If things go as planned and injury does not sideline the country's most popular cricketer Mashrafe Bin Mortaza leading up to next year's ICC World Cup, Bangladesh might present an MP [Member of Parliament] at the global showpiece event.

And as a first step towards that lofty personal goal, Bangladesh's most successful ODI captain will appear at Awami League president's Dhanmondi office to collect his nomination paper today.

Mashrafe will contest the 11th parliamentary elections to be held on December 23 with Awami League ticket, said Md Abu Naser, senior information officer of the ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, yesterday. Although the party spokesman had also informed about another popular cricketer Shakib Al Hasan's bid for elections, the all-rounder, after having himself confirmed his willingness to run for the election during the day, backtracked on his decision later in the night. He informed Daily Prothom Alo late last night that he would not be buying nomination paper for the upcoming election.

Should there be no late twist in the plot, the impending introduction of Mashrafe in the cut-throat political field will be unique in the context that no other top professional player has previously contested Bangladesh's national election while still playing at the highest level.

Instances of top professional athletes contesting any national election are rare. Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao, who also had a brief foray into professional basketball, is the only high profile athlete currently serving as a senate member of his country. Pacquiao is an exception to a general trend of athletes turning to politics only after their retirement from the sporting field.

Bangladesh has seen retired sports personalities becoming lawmakers, with national cricket team's former captain Naimur Rahman Durjoy, national football team's former captain Arif Khan Joy and footballer-turned-businessman Abdus Salam Murshedy currently acting as MPs.

Now that Mashrafe, who will arguably be the most important component in Bangladesh's first real shot at World Cup glory in England next year, will be running in the 11th parliamentary election does not come as a surprise. It was in the making for quite some time. Planning minister AHM Mustafa Kamal first made it public on May 29 this year.

"Mashrafe will contest the elections from Narail," Kamal, also a former Bangladesh Cricket Board president, said while briefing reporters after an ECNEC meeting. 

"Shakib will also be contesting the elections," Kamal had also said.

However, two days later, Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader snubbed that suggestion.

"There is a surprise in nominating candidates for the next general election indeed but we do not want to comment over Mashrafe and Shakib in this regard before the next World Cup," Quader had said.

"I have talked to Shakib and I was told that they don't want to think about participating in politics and elections right now," added the Awami League general secretary at that time.

But as things stand at the moment the wind has changed. It may be a spectacular addition in ruling Awami League's campaign for a third consecutive victory in the national election, but the news of Mashrafe and Shakib contesting in the polls yesterday morning came as a surprise to the sports fraternity.

The reaction on social media platforms was intense, with the general notion that it would be a distraction destined to harm Bangladesh's build-up to the all-important World Cup.

Under Mashrafe's leadership since 2015, Bangladesh has made tremendous progress in the one-day format of the game. The Tigers made it to the World Cup quarterfinal in 2015. They have won more games than lost under Mashrafe since then, winning 38 of 55 ODI matches.

Besides, Bangladesh also made it to the semifinals in the 2017 Champions Trophy in England and reached consecutive Asia Cup finals, with the last one in Dubai where the Tigers suffered a last-ball defeat to India.