‘I thought it was enough’
I have always said that whatever I am today, is through cricket. If I did not play cricket, I could have probably been in the fish business. It is actually my family business and there are enclosures there. Whatever I have become is because of cricket. And in the future, whatever plans I might have, cricket will be a major part of that.
MASHRAFE BIN MORTAZA
BANGLADESH ODI CAPTAIN
It was a long wait for the journalists under the hot sun at the Sylhet International Stadium yesterday as a relaxed Mashrafe Bin Mortaza -- Bangladesh's most successful ODI captain -- headed towards the press conference room with a piece of paper in his hands yesterday.
Unaware of what was to come, journalists were busy preparing for the press conference ahead of the third and final ODI against Zimbabwe before a calm and composed Mashrafe arrived and said that he had something to announce before the interaction began. The entire room went silent and the inspirational cricketer shocked everyone, reading out from the paper and announcing that the final ODI against Zimbabwe would be his last as captain. Excerpts of the historic 34-minute press conference are given below:
Q: Has this decision come from you or the board?
Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (MM): I have taken the decision.
Q: Would you like to mention a name for your successor?
MM: It is tough to name someone. It is for the BCB to decide but I believe it should be someone among the seniors that we have now. Shakib [Al Hasan] is not available. I am not sure what the way forward is and what will happen after Shakib returns. We will need to see first if the process starts from now but I am sure the three we have now [Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad] are capable of leading the team. I hope the best one will be given charge.
Q: How emotional was this decision for you?
MM: I never saw myself leading the team as very important. I was rather proud that I was representing the country. Captaincy was given to me by the board and I have tried my best. Sometimes I got results and sometimes I did not. But I had to come to a decision. We have the 2023 World Cup ahead and everyone was discussing the preparation for that. I think it is the right time for the next captain to come and for him to have his team ready, starting now. But I hope they will stick to the plan that has been set now. This captain should remain till 2023.
Q:A couple of days ago you had said you were still thinking. How did you come to this decision all of a sudden?
MM: To be honest, I did not think much about it. Everyone is looking for a new captain for the 2023 World Cup so I also thought about it, albeit not much, and came to this decision.
It was this morning that I thought it was enough. But the discussions that are happening would even make you think. It is a normal process but I hope the discussion and the plan remains as said. The next captain should remain till 2023. It should not happen that one year ahead of the World Cup, the next captain is changed with the reasoning that he is unable to manage the team because that is not very unusual in Bangladesh.
Q: Which moment hurt you the most as captain?
MM: The most painful was when we lost by one run against India [in the 2016 World T20]. That night was, not only for me, the ugliest for the whole team. We all were sitting in the corridor of the hotel. I think looking at them was a very sad part as captain. And then obviously many challenging periods have gone by. The World Cup; we were in the competition till a certain time, but it was also tough at the end. Whoever is the captain, he tries to win. If that does not happen… any match that Bangladesh lose is a tough time for Bangladesh. Individually, I think every defeat was tough for me.
Q: What is your plan from here?
MM: Whatever I am today, it is because of cricket. I would have been in the fishing business if I was not a cricketer. Fishing is my family business. My plan from here on will of course mostly involve cricket. I will have to work for my jurisdiction [as an MP] but I will not back off from cricket. It is in my blood. I will be there for cricket and cricketers for any kind of help and will try to support them in the best way possible.
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