Former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza has decided to take a break from the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) season after facing five consecutive defeats with his team, Sylhet Strikers. Sylhet Strikers, under Mashrafe's leadership, endured a challenging start in the BPL, failing to secure a single victory in the first five matches. Mashrafe, known for his formidable leadership skills, managed to take only one wicket in this season. BPL 2024: Mahmudullah and Imran inspire Barishal’s big win over SylhetIn an attempt to validate his place in the team, Mashrafe made a strategic move by promoting himself in the batting order. However, this tactical decision failed to yield any noteworthy contributions with the bat, adding to the scrutiny surrounding his participation in the Bangladesh Premier League. In an official statement regarding Mashrafe's temporary departure from the BPL, the Sylhet team clarified that he is opting for this break to fulfill his responsibilities as a whip in the parliament. The team expressed the possibility of Mashrafe rejoining the BPL later in the season, provided he can balance his political commitments. BPL 2024: Riders Secure Third Victory Despite Late Surge by Victorians During Mashrafe's absence as captain, Mohammad Mithun is slated to assume the leadership role for Sylhet, as confirmed by the team management. Mashrafe's involvement in the BPL had faced criticism due to his prolonged absence from competitive cricket due to his political engagements. He actively participated in the national election in early January 2024, securing a parliamentary seat for the ruling Awami League party. Notably, the election was boycotted by the main political opposition, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, and their allies. BPL 2024: Khulna Tigers thump Dhaka in convincing 10-wicket win Former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful, currently serving as an analyst for T Sports, a sports-dedicated private TV station, voiced concerns about Mashrafe's fitness. He suggested that the participation of players like Mashrafe is tarnishing the image of BPL globally and hindering opportunities for younger cricketers. In response to the criticism about his participation, Mashrafe conceded that his involvement is not “ideal”. However, despite conceding it, Mashrafe played three matches for his BPL team before taking the break.

Former Bangladesh cricket team captain and Narail-2 Awami League candidate for the 12th parliamentary election Mashrafe Bin Mortaza bagged the seat for the second time consecutively by a huge margin. Barrister Sumon crushes incumbent state minister for civil aviation and tourism He bagged 1,89,102 votes, while his nearest rival Hafizur Rahman from Bangladesh Workers Party secured 4,041 votes in Sunday's polls. The polling that began at 8:00 am concluded at 4pm without any break amid tight security in 299 out of the country’s 300 constituencies. The counting of votes started immediately after the end of voting. Shahriar Alam wins Rajshahi-6 Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina cast her vote at Dhaka City College in the capital this morning. Election Commission Secretary Jahangir Alam on Sunday said 27.15 % votes were cast till 3 pm on Sunday. BNP holds protest rally rejecting polls in Kishoreganj

A mobile court has fined four supporters of Narail-2 constituency Awami League candidate Mashrafe Bin Mortaza for violating the election code of conduct during the campaign.  Md Anisur Rahman, executive magistrate of the mobile court, slapped the penalty on Wednesday night. 11 BNP leaders-activists arrested in Narail He said that they conducted a drive in Hatir Bagan area of the town on Wednesday night as part of a regular duty in the two constituencies of Narail. 2 dead in motorbike-three wheeler collision in Narail Four supporters of Mashrafe  were fined Tk5,200 for putting stickers of his electoral symbol  “boat” on the vehicles, Anisur said. He said he had also warned them against repeating the offence. Narail farmer beaten to death in barbaric attack

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, the former Bangladesh captain, needed 27 stitches on his left leg after it was badly cut by glass at his Dhaka home.  Sources said that the cricketer had a collision with a showcase and subsequently a big piece of glass broke and fell on his leg.  Mashrafe was taken to a city hospital where he received 27 stitches.  Also Read: Taskin should be rewarded: Mashrafe It was not clear immediately when the pacer would be fit to play again.  Masrhafe took part in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League for the Legends of Rupganj as the captain. He led a mediocre team to the runners up spot.    

Former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza has praised young tearawayn Taskin Ahmed for his decision to prefer playing for the national team instead of taking part in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Mashrafe said the pacer should be rewarded by the board so that he and other players feel that the board always stands beside them. “Of course (Taskin should be awarded). When a player skips IPL for national duty, he deserves an award. It makes the cricketer feels good and thinks that the board is beside me and I’m ready to play any format of the game,” Mashrafe told the reporters on Sunday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. Also read: Masrahfe praises Shakib for his sacrifice Taskin won the player of the match award twice in the recently concluded series against Proteas, which was the first series win in South Africa as well. In the third match of the series, Taskin bagged five wickets— the second of his career. Right before the third match, Taskin got an IPL call-up from the Lucknow Super Giants. The pacer said no to IPL after a discussion with the Bangladesh Cricket Board. The right-arm pacer is contracted with the board to play all formats of the game. Also read: Imperious Tigers complete historic series win in South Africa

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, the former captain of Bangladesh, has praised Shakib Al Hasan for the sacrifice he made during the South Africa series.  Before the third match of the series, five members of Shakib’s family were hospitalized for different illnesses. It was expected that Shakib would return home to stay with his family. But the allrounder preferred to stay with the team for the series-deciding third and last match.  Read: Shakib set to return home from South Africa “We have to see the sacrifice that Shakib made in this series,” Masrhafe said on Sunday. “He was free to return home, but he stayed with the team and supported the team.” Bangladesh eventually won the last match of the series against South Africa and won the series as well— their first in South Africa.  “The biggest thing is Shakib’s desire to win the series. Hats off to Shakib (for what he has done)! He managed two sides in a great way,” Mashrafe added.  Read:Shakib to continue playing in SA despite family issues Earlier, Shakib was reluctant to tour South Africa due to, as he said, mental fatigue. But he eventually travelled with the team and won the player of the match award in the first match of the series.  The allrounder is currently at home. But he is expected to join the national team for the second Test starting on April 8 at St George's Park, Port Elizabeth.

Former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza started practice at Mirpur Thursday ahead of the 50-over edition of the Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) amid uncertainty about participation. The 38-year-old pacer played his last competitive cricket match back in December, 2020. He had been out of cricket since due to his political commitments as a member of Bangladesh parliament. “Just bowled a few deliveries with a short run-up,” Mashrafe told the media, adding that he has been undergoing a rehabilitation programme. “I have been suffering from a bit of back pain. It will take a little time to get rid of it. But I started slowly.” Also read: BCL Final: Mithun hits maiden double ton Mashrafe hoped he can start bowling with full run-up by next week. The veteran bowler will represent Dhaka team in the upcoming edition of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) starting from January 21. The former captain praised the Test team for their historic win over New Zealand this week. Masrahfe rated it as the biggest win of Bangladesh in cricket so far. “I don’t like to say it's ‘one of the best wins’, it’s actually the best win to me,” he said. “New Zealand are the champions of the Test. We don’t have our best players in this series. If you keep these things in mind, it was our best win ever.” Also read: BCL Cricket: Central Zone require 192 runs against South Zone on final day According to Masrhafe, Bangladesh’s pace-bowling unit is flourishing slowly in every format of the game. He said what Ebadot Hossain has done in the first Test against New Zealand was a result of his long struggle. “If you see our T20Is stats, our pacers have done well there. Test was the format where our pacers struggled for a long time unlike T20Is and ODIs. We have to work harder for that. If you look at Taskin (Ahmed), he has started doing well. Ebadot already displayed what he is capable of. And Rahi (Abu Jayed) has been doing well too. We have to believe them more, and it will eventually help them to become even more effective in Tests.” After winning the first Test by a big margin of eight wickets, which was Bangladesh’s maiden Test win over New Zealand and first by any Asian Team in New Zealand after 2013, Bangladesh are now gearing up for the second Test which will begin in Christchurch on January 9.

Bangladesh ODI captain Tamim Iqbal and former captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza have been roped in by Dhaka for the Bangabandhu Dhaka Premier League (BPL) which is set to be played from January 21 in three venues in Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet.  A total of six teams are taking part in the new season of BPL. Five of them are sponsored by local business groups while one, Dhaka, is sponsored by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).  Read:Soumya hits a ton as BCL 3rd round gets underway Ismail Haider Mallick, the member secretary of BPL, said, at the start of the player draft on Monday at a hotel in Dhaka, that the Dhaka team is owned by BCB for now. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, no BPL was held in 2020 and 2021.  The other teams that are taking place in this season of BPL are based on Fortune Barishal, Cumilla Victorians, Chattogram Challengers, Khulna Tigers and Sylhet Sunrisers. 

Former Tigers skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza has said the Bangladesh team management at present resembles a rehabilitation centre for South African coaches out of a job. Mashrafe made the statement on social media after Bangladesh lost their first Super 12s encounter of the ongoing T20 World Cup against Sri Lanka by five wickets, from a good position. It was one of the matches that Bangladesh had aimed at to pave their way to the semi-finals. “The current team management looks like a rehab centre for all the South African coaches out of a job to rehabilitate themselves by working,” Mashrafe wrote on his social media handle. “Sacking them is another problem because then you have to pay off the remaining amount in their contract. So as things stand, they can do as they wish as long as they are here.” Mashrafe backed Mahmudullah Riyad, the current captain of the Bangladesh T20 team who has faced criticism for his decisions in the match that Bangladesh lost to Sri Lanka. According to Mashrafe, despite the fact that the captain is the ultimate decisionmaker of a cricket team, the coaches also have something to say when a captain struggles to make a crucial decision. “I agree that the captain makes the final call in the field,” he wrote. “But doesn’t the coach discuss with the captain the crunch moments of a match? A captain can be under different types of pressure in a nervy moment of a match. Did our coach ask the captain what is his plan?” Read: ‘Heart destroyed seeing two defeats yesterday’: Mashrafe Mashrafe also stood by Liton Das, who faced a tremendous backlash as well for his sloppy fielding dropping two easy catches in the match against Sri Lanka. The batters, who got a life after Liton missed the two catches, sealed the game for the Lankans. “There should be no excuse for Liton’s bad fielding. I think Liton will also not give an excuse for his misses. It’s part of the game. But did we ask the fielding coach (Ryan Cook) why we miss catches? After the World Cup 2019, every member of the Bangladesh coaching set-up lost their job except this fielding coach. Did we become the best fielding side in the world?” Mashrafe added. Mashrafe also questioned why the head coach Russell Domingo doesn't step up to defend the team like he does for the coaching staff. "Why don't Tamim, Mushfiq, Riyad stay well? Isn't it his (Domingo) job to address this?" The Bangladesh team's coaching staff at present consists of three South Africans: Russell Domingo (head coach), Ashwell Prince (batting coach) and Ryan Cook (fielding coach). Bowling coach Ottis Gibson is a West Indian from Barbados, but his last job was also as coach of South Africa. Gibson on Tuesday refused to be drawn into a direct response to Mashrafe. Read: Mashrafe Mortaza drops a bombshell over his alleged T20 retirement in 2017 “That doesn’t interest or concern me, whatever anyone outside of our circle is saying. We can’t control what people are saying on social media,” Gibson told reporters on Tuesday when he was asked about Mashrafe’s comments. “We can only control what is being said in and around the group. We know what we do as a coaching group here,” he added. Bangladesh will take on England on Wednesday in their second Super 12s match. The Tigers have to win at least three matches in order to book a place in the Semi-finals stage of the World Cup for the first time.

Former captain of Bangladesh national cricket team and Member of Parliament Mashrafe bin Mortaza expressed sadness on his social media handle following arson attacks on a Hindu village in Rangpur on Sunday night. “We have seen two defeats yesterday,” Mashrafe said in his social media post pointing to the Bangladesh team’s defeat to Scotland in the T20 World Cup, and the incident of fire in Rangpur’s Pirganj.  “One was Bangladesh team’s defeat, which has hurt me. And, another defeat belongs to the whole of Bangladesh, which has destroyed my heart. We never wanted this version of Bangladesh. Many dreams and many stories of fights of lives have finished in a blink of an eye. May Allah show us the right way,” he added. Also read: T20 World Cup: Tigers brought crashing down to earth by clinical Scots Police have detained 42 people in connection with arson attacks on the homes of Hindu community members at Boro Karimpur Majhipara village in Pirganj upazila over a post on social media on Sunday night. The attackers set fire to 20-25 houses and shops of Hindus at the village around 8pm on Sunday, said deputy commissioner of Rangpur Asif Hasan on Monday. The attackers also looted cash, cattle and other valuables from the houses. Also read: Blames on batters; Tigers look for a turnaround