Mash uncertain for WI ODIs?
Will Mashrafe Bin Mortaza be available for the upcoming three-match ODI home series against West Indies? This question was a hard one to answer even for Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan.
"This is a hard question but there is no doubt that he will be available for World Cup," Hassan said when asked whether the Bangladesh ODI skipper would be available for the West Indies series while talking to reporters in Mirpur after Bangladesh's 218-run victory against Zimbabwe in the second Test.
The question was raised because everybody was curious to know how Mashrafe would juggle his preparations for the series starting from December 9 and campaigning for the upcoming general elections, which is set to be held on December 30. Mashrafe collected a nomination form from the Awami League to contest the upcoming general election from his home district of Narail.
The last day for filing nomination papers is November 28. The scrutiny of the nomination papers by the returning officers is scheduled to be done on December 2 and the deadline for withdrawing candidacy is December 9.
The ODI series will end on December 14 but Mashrafe will understandably be busy with the election campaign if he ultimately gets the nod.
Mashrafe was yet to comment on the issue and BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury told The Daily Star yesterday that they did not receive any communication from him about a leave.
"There is a date for submitting the form and I don't know for sure when he will submit it and am not aware of his programmes. I am supposed to meet with him today and hopefully I will know the details today. If there is an opportunity, then definitely he will play. Even if he has the opportunity to spare one day, then he will. Playing should be his priority," said Hassan.
He also added that there was not going to be any conflict of interest between Mashrafe's career as a politician and his cricket career.
"In Mashrafe's case, we are not sure how long he will play. It is quite a lot for us that he is still playing with all his injuries. He is more important as a captain than as a player in our team. I don't think we can find a captain like him. Maybe he will want to retire after the World Cup [in summer 2019] and then it is a matter of months when he retires. So, if that is the case then there is no problem in him participating in the elections now," observed the BCB boss.
Stand-in Bangladesh Test skipper Mahmudullah Riyad however expressed his optimism over getting Mashrafe in the West Indies series.
"InshAllah we will get Mashrafe Bhai… he is our ODI captain and if he is fit then we will definitely get him," said Riyad during a post-match briefing yesterday.
As the next World Cup is not far away, the West Indies series is important for preparation because the Tigers will get only another ODI series in New Zealand in February next year before the global showpiece event.
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