|| CF DESK ||

Sylhet Strikers captain Mashrafe Mortaza won’t feature in the remainder of this season’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and is expected to make a comeback in the next season, confirmed by Sylhet Strikers head coach Rajin Saleh.

The 40-year-old cricketer, representing the Awami League, secured his second consecutive victory in Bangladesh’s general elections. In order to concentrate on his political duties Mashrafe had to temporarily step away from the tournament.

Although there were expectations for him to rejoin the team later in the tournament, the franchise revealed the captain is not returning due to his parliamentary duties.

“No, he has very little chance. To tell the truth, he is busy with his work. Since he can't join the team now, maybe he'll make a good comeback next year,” Sylhet's head coach Rajin Saleh said.

It was not an ideal season for the veteran cricketer as he faced criticism for playing despite not being on top of his fitness. He was seen to bowl with a short run-up due to his dodgy knee.

Mashrafe led the Sylhet Strikers in the tournament, playing 5 matches and taking only 1 wicket with an economy rate of 7.73. He also batted in the top order a few times, but did not have much success.

Meanwhile, in the absence of Mashrafe, right-handed batter Mohammad Mithun is leading the team. The team sits in the sixth position in the points table with only three wins in nine matches.