BCB should stick with their next captain till 2023- Mashrafe
Image : Getty
|| CF Correspondent ||
Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe bin Mortaza urged Bangladesh Cricket Board that they should back their next captain until the next World Cup.
Bangladesh pacer Mashrafe bin Mortaza on Thursday announced to step down as one-day international captain of the national team, ending the speculation about his future.
The third one-day international against Zimbabwe on Friday in Sylhet will be his final ODI as captain, Mashrafe announced at a press conference in Sylhet.
The 36-year-old, who fronted the media on the eve of the third ODI against Zimbabwe, affirmed a decision taken by BCB chief Nazmul Hasan ahead of the series to relive the long-standing skipper of his leadership role with an eye on building a team for the 2023 World Cup.
As per Nazmul, Mortaza's selection as a player for future tournaments will be subject to his beep test results. Friday's ODI in Sylhet, though, will bring the curtains down on a decorated era in the country's 50-over cricket.
‘’Tomorrow [Friday] is my last match as captain. I would like to thank Bangladesh Cricket Board for keeping confidence in me for such a long period,’’ Mashrafe told reporters at Sylhet Stadium on Thursday.
‘I will try to give my best as player if I get opportunity,’ he said.
"I believe that Bangladesh team will reach the next stage under him. I will try to give him all the support through my experience. I think the three available senior players each have the ability to lead the side. Hope the BCB takes the best one of them."
Mashrafee said he decided to resign as captain to help the BCB rebuild the team ahead of World Cup 2023 and urged the Board to stay firm on its planning.
‘‘I think this is the right time for someone new to take over, so that he can organise the team from now. And I hope the decision that was taken [rebuilding the team for 2023] it is strictly followed,’ he said.
‘’As I’m leaving we definitely have senior players they are obviously capable, if board thinks that giving captaincy to that individual our team will move on one step upward from the situation right now. So if the board discussed with them and bring them on I think that would be good for the team. But right now the senior players we have all of them are capable to lead the team. So now we have to see whom BCB choose because it’s the matter of BCB,’’ he said.
Mashrafee added that seniors should be given priority as juniors cannot handle the pressure.
‘’Cricket is not the same as before. People are watching, media is watching, cameras are watching with this much pressure he will have to lead the team. I think they should settle this decision[ of picking their next captain] by thinking a lot. Because those who have played for 12 or 14 years know how to handle you [media] guys and the pressure from outsides even a little bit. So it depends on what they think about it. But it’s completely my personal opinion and rest of the thing will decided by the board,’’ he said.
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