|| CF Correspondent ||

Bangladesh skipper Mashrafee bin Murtaza hinted that he might retire from Sri Lanka, where he had also ended his Twenty20 career earlier.

Prior to the World Cup, Mashrafe announced that it will be his last appearance in the showcase event and since then there was a lot of speculation going around on whether he wants to say goodbye to his 18-year old international career after completing the assignment on the big stage.

According to Mashrafee, who happens to be a running member of the parliament as well after winning from his constituency in the last election, if BCB insists he might think otherwise but for him it’s not all over as yet and he does not think he is required to take any decision regarding his retirement at this point of time.

‘’I wish to play, that’s why I am playing. Will I play two matches or five matches, that I don’t know and it can happen that, I will retire in Sri Lanka, just saying,’’ Mashrafee told Cricfrenzy on Saturday.

‘’I felt like retiring from T20 in Sri Lanka, that’s why I took my retirement there. I don’t think any declaration is required here,’’ he said adding that he is not interested to talk about it[retirement] at the moment.

“Of course, this is my World Cup. But I am not retiring at the end of the tournament. I don’t want to think about that this moment,’’ he said.

‘’The tournament is still going on, this can be harmful. At this type of moment, people tend to be emotional. But if the board wants, then I have to think about that,’’ he added. Among the former Bangladesh stars, apart from Khaled Mahmud and Mohammad Rafique, hardly anyone could end up his international career from the field making a pre-announcement.

Mahmud retired after a one-day international against Sri Lanka in Bogura in 2006 while Rafique called it a day following a Test match against South Africa at Chattogram in 2007.

But they also had had some setbacks before retiring as Mahmud had to make a U-turn from a retirement decision in 2004 while Rafique got his chance to finish his career at home after being dropped from the preceding New Zealand tour.

Minhajul Abedin retired after the World Cup 1999 but wanted to make a comeback after Bangladesh was granted Test status. But he was never given that opportunity and the present chief selector had to retire after a domestic match in 2005.

Akram Khan had to announce his retirement from Grand Azad hotel after a disappointing tour in South Africa in 2003 while Bangladesh captain in World Cup 1999 Aminul Islam was yet to retire officially.