Mashrafe hints at willingness to tour Pakistan

Bangladesh ODI skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza said that he would be willing to travel anywhere if the team need him. After the completion of the Zimbabwe series, the Tigers are scheduled to travel to Pakistan for the third and final phase of their tour of the country next month to play a solitary ODI and their second World Test Championship fixture against Pakistan.

Mashrafe, who missed the Sri Lanka tour in July last year due to injuries, returned to lead the Tigers in the three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe, scheduled to begin from tomorrow in Sylhet. And Mashrafe mentioned that he will be ready to go anywhere if the team needs him.

"First of all, I don't know what will happen after this series. If the Bangladesh team need me then I will be ready to go anywhere," said Mashrafe during the pre-match post conference in Sylhet today.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has kept the option for players to opt out of the Pakistan series if they do not feel safe. Mushfiqur Rahim took that option earlier and had opted out of the tour due to security concerns.

While Mashrafe respects Mushfiqur's decision, the inspirational leader also mentioned that the BCB would always take decisions that would be in the best interest of the players.

"I always feel that the cricket board [BCB] is our guardian. The board would always think at least 10 times about the players before taking any decision. I think that we should always consider the board's decision as the ultimate one.

"But we still have differences in our opinion. I respect Mushfiqur's decision and the BCB has given the option to players to sit out if they do not want to travel to Pakistan. The selectors will definitely ask the players personally when they meet to announce the squad for the Pakistan tour. If they ever select me and ask my opinion then I will discuss about it with them," said Mashrafe.