Mashrafe to think about retirement after returning home

Publish: 6:35 PM, July 6, 2019 | Update: 6:35 PM, July 6, 2019

DHAKA,  – Mashrafe Bin Mortaza further refused to reveal his retirement plan when it was widely predicted that he would walk into the sunset after the World Cup.

Even it was speculated that he would hang up his boots after Bangladesh’s final game against Pakistan in this World Cup at Lord’s but that was not to
be.

Mashrafe had picked up just one wicket in eight games in this World Cup, letting critics come hard on his performance.

In the midst of the World Cup, his retirement issue came to the fore strongly but Mashrafe always refused to give it a thought.

He said that he will think about his retirement from international cricket once he returns to Bangladesh. The Tigers will reach country on
Sunday. Mashrafe had earlier declared that Pakistan match is his last World Cup match.

Before the India match, he said that he has the intention to play for Bangladesh for a bit longer and it created a confusion that what is in his
mind.

However when Bangladesh played their last match, the retirement issue once again came up but this time Mashrafe said he wants to go to home first
before taking any decision about his International career.

“The first plan is to return to home,” he said, replying to a query. “I will go home and rethink my career plan. After that I will make the
final call,” Mashrafe said.

In 2017, Mashrafe retired suddenly from T20 cricket in Sri Lanka. But this time it seems that he wants to think about his retirement more
seriously. Mashrafe has been longest serving player for Bangladesh, beginning his career in 2001, just one year after Bangladesh was granted the Test status.

He is the highest wicket taker of Bangladesh in ODI cricket, taking 266 wickets in 217 matches. He also played 36 Tests and 54 T20 Internationals.

In this World Cup he played through hamstring injury which is believed to hamper his bowling. Bangladesh skipper just took one wicket with a shambolic average of 361.00 in this World Cup.