Bangladesh will start their Asia Cup campaign taking on Sri Lanka on the opening day in Dubai and will play Afghanistan on September 20 in Abu Dhabi in the day-night Group B matches.
Addressing a press conference in Mirpur on Thursday, Mashrafe said, “I had no any specific target in the West Indies tour. I have no specific target this time too except contributing for the team playing my best cricket.”
Two landmarks reckon the Bangladesh captain having 245 wickets in 190 ODIs. He needs three more wickets to overcome Pakistani speed start Shoaib Akhter’s 247 wickets and five more to reach the 250-wicket club in ODI cricket.
Ahead of the tour, BCB faces an awkward and embarrassing situation by the confusion around Shakib Al Hasan's fitness for the Asia Cup. BCB director Jalal Yunus said Shakib should have informed the board rather than the media that he feels he is ‘20-30 percent fit’ for the tournament.
Shakib contradicted himself in two recent interviews about his fitness, saying top players cannot play with such low levels of fitness.
"The board is put in an awkward and embarrassing situation. He didn't tell us when the selection was being finalised, or at any other time. It would have been better had he told us earlier that he was 20-30 percent fit. He didn't say that he can't play."
At the press conference, the Bangladesh captain and coach Steve Rhodes said even a half-fit Shakib would be good enough to play the Asia Cup.
"Since he played in the West Indies, I am sure he'd know his exact situation," Mashrafe said, adding: "His performance was very useful for winning there. I think it is more than enough if his fitness is at that level. But we can't do anything about it. He took the decision and since he will play, I am sure he will give his 100 percent."
Rhodes had said Shakib's statement was more headline-grabbing than anything else. "I don't believe he is 20-30 percent fit. I think he is a lot fitter than that. That sort of statement has hit the headline. I am pretty sure Shakib is a lot fitter than that. He is in no real different state to the state in West Indies, where he played some fantastic cricket with bat, ball and in the field.”
"Everybody knows that he does need the operation. He has made that decision after speaking to the BCB president. Asia Cup is very important to Bangladesh. Even if Shakib was 60-70 percent fit, you'd get a lot of cricket out of Shakib Al Hasan," he added.
Shakib is currently on vacation in the United States, and the BCB indicated he would be travelling from there to the UAE for the Asia Cup, and that Mominul Haque will be sent as cover for him.
Shakib injured the little finger on his left hand in January last, which forced him out of the home Tests and T20Is against Sri Lanka and the Pakistan Super League. He was supposed to undergo a finger surgery on return from the West Indies tour in the first week of August.
But, Shakib was named in the 16-man Asia Cup squad as understood that BCB president Nazmul Hassan suggested Shakib could have surgery after the tournament and skip the Zimbabwe series in October.
Bangladesh Squad: Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Shakib Al Hasan (vc), Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Mithun, Liton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, Ariful Haque, Mahmudullah, Mosaddek Hossain, Nazmul Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nazmul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Hider
Standby: Mominul Haque (back up for Shakib)