Missing 2011 WC, quitting captaincy the two most emotional moments: Mash
Former Bangladesh ODI skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza revealed the two times he became emotional during a Facebook live chat show on Saturday night hosted by successor Tamim Iqbal.
Mashrafe said the first time he felt his emotions get the better of him was back in 2011 when he missed his chance to play in the World Cup due to an injury. And the other was when he retired from ODI captaincy earlier this year.
The show also featured all-rounder Mahmudullah Riyad and wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim.
Tamim, who had started his series of live chat shows featuring former and current cricketers on May 2, had invited the three stalwarts of the Bangladesh team for the final episode. Tamim, who wanted to host the last episode featuring all the big five of the Bangladesh team, had earlier informed that premier all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan will not be able to appear on the last live show due to some personal reasons.
During one part of the video chat, Mashrafe mentioned how he felt when he was dropped from the Bangladesh side for the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup due to injury after Tamim had enquired about it.
"After I heard that the 2011 World Cup will be held in Bangladesh, I had dreamt of playing in it. It is the biggest dream for any player to play in a World Cup and especially when it is being held in your country. Even when I injured myself -- a ligament wobble -- playing in the Dhaka League prior to the tournament, I never even thought that I would miss the World Cup.
"After that I went to Sri Lanka and the doctor there said that the only risk I have is that I might tear my ligament if I decide to play. But if you can play tolerating that pain then you can play and I agreed on that. But still I was dropped. However, I do not blame or hold anyone responsible for not getting into the side. But I do regret not being picked. I will not say that I do not have any regrets or that I did not feel bad," Mashrafe said.
The 36-year-old pacer then went on to reveal the two times he gave in to his emotions during his prolonged career.
"I became emotional twice in my career. I did not have such a breakdown even when I retired [from T20I in 2017]. But the two times that my emotions got the better of me -- which I think was not the right thing to do -- was when I was dropped from the 2011 World Cup and the second time was when I retired as a captain [earlier in 2020]. You guys know the reason why I retired from captaincy and I actually don't want to say it here," sighed Mashrafe.
The right-armer however mentioned that for a particular reason Mashrafe now feels good that he missed the World Cup in 2011.
"It was tough for me to miss the 2011 World Cup. But there is a part that makes me feel good about it. It is that when Bangladesh played their last game in the World Cup against South Africa, the doctors had declared my wife to be clinically dead. My pregnant wife was suffering from jaundice and the doctors told me that usually in such case there is a 99 per cent chance that the patient won't survive. However had I played in the World Cup, I would not have been able to take my wife to the hospital and I don't know what would have happened. So when I think that then I actually feel good that may be the Almighty did not want me to play the World Cup for this reason. And for that I think I got my family back," said Mashrafe, who thanked the Almighty for everything that happened in the way it did.
Mashrafe also revealed how a simple mistake by Michael Henry, who was the physio of the Bangladesh national team back then, had played a vital role behind him missing the World Cup. Mashrafe however thanked the Almighty for the way everything panned out.
"Actually Allah does everything for a good reason. When David Young [Mashrafe's doctor] sent the report to our physio Michael Henry back then, at that time, unfortunately Henry did not read the whole mail. He actually did not click on the 'read more' option. He saw the top part of the mail and submitted that to the selectors. After that when I talked to my doctor over the phone and asked him, 'Did you say that I can not play in the World Cup? Because earlier you mentioned to me that I could play if I want to.' Then he said that he had sent in the full report. And then I talked with Henry and I checked his phone and saw that he actually did not go to the 'read more' option. He said sorry to me. And I thought there is no point blaming him or arguing with him. Ultimately, I think this whole thing happened because I would eventually get my family back for not being in the World Cup," Mashrafe said.
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