Mashrafe opts out of new one-day competition

Former Bangladesh ODI skipper Mashrafe Mortaza has refused to take part in a yet-to-be-named domestic three-team one-day competition that is likely to start from October 11, reports Cricbuzz.

Mashrafe stepped down from the leadership role at the end of the three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe at home, taking the decision as Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced the series to be his last as Bangladesh's leader, after which he will have to prove his form and fitness to be considered for selection.

With the Sri Lanka tour postponed, BCB decided to start the domestic competition as part of their initiative to resume competitive cricket after the conclusion of the intra-squad two-day games. Another two-day match will be played in the coming days and it was expected to be followed by a three-day game but later BCB management opted to introduce the 50-over competition, likely to be played between Bangladesh national team, Bangladesh A team and the High Performance Unit.

Mashrafe was approached by the national selectors on Saturday to know his availability and he cited fitness issues. Mashrafe had tested Covid-19 positive earlier and had symptoms that did not subside. He had taken more than two weeks to recover.

Mashrafe, who insisted that he is yet to give up playing cricket after quitting captaincy, has not taken part in any competitive cricket tournament since March. He also refrained from restarting individual training that started across the country from July 19.

BCB chief selector Minhajul Abedin admitted to the online sports portal that they have spoken to Mashrafe, and added that they are trying to host the tournament only with fit players. "He is not fit yet so he will not be part of the competition," he said. "We will host this tournament with cricketers who were part of our system and participating in different camps in the recent past."

Abedin, however, noted that the former skipper can mark his return in the Corporate League, a domestic T20 competition. "If there is Corporate League, the auction for that will be open for all and we can see Mashrafe if he is picked."