A few cricket lovers were left heart-broken after Mashrafe Mortaza hinted that he might call it a day after the ICC T20 World Cup in India. Asked whether he had set his eyes on future tournaments like the Champions Trophy in 2017 or the World Cup in 2018, Mortaza had said: "I don't think so. One thing is for sure, I will not be playing for a long time. By the grace of Almighty, if I am fit, then I intend to play this whole 2016.
Mortaza, however, hinted that if he indeed chooses to retire, it will be a carefully considered decision. "...From a very young age, I have been an instinctive person. I have never ever treaded the usual fixed path. I live for the moment. Yes, whenever I take the big decision, my teammates will know about it before my family as it is a cricketing decision. When I take any decision, will make sure that it is convenient for everyone."
If the World T20 is indeed Mortaza's last major cricketing event, he would definitely like to take the team to a new high before he bows out. He has already achieved wonderful things as a captain and under his captaincy, Bangladesh have scaled new heights.
Bangladesh's phenomenal rise
2015 was the year when the Bangladesh team scaled new heights and ultimately threw off the ignominious tag of being the minnows. They now knew what it felt like to rub shoulders with the big boys of cricket. They turned their home-grounds into virtual fortresses which dealt the death-knell on the coffin of many-a visiting team.
Their vintage run of form started with a 5-0 whitewash against Zimbabwe in November 2014. It was in the World Cup 2015 however that they really proved their credentials and left everyone awestruck with their superb performances.
Placed in the same pool alongside the likes of Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and England, no one expected Bangladesh to make it past them to the next round. But they put in a star-studded performance to knock out England and advance to the quarter-finals for the first time in their cricketing history.
They were eventually defeated by India in the quarter-final but they returned home to a hero's welcome. Rejuvenated by their good performances, they went on a giant-killing spree as they went on to win three consecutive series against Pakistan, India and South Africa.
All of a sudden, the world was beginning to sit up and take notice. Bangladesh were the new invincibles. And quietly, a transformation of cricketing power dynamics was taking place in the Indian sub-continent.
Pakistan were tottering. Too much chopping and changing - the perennial problem with Pakistani cricket - had ultimately led to a series of poor performances on the field. Sri Lanka, going through a phase of transition after the retirement of Sangakkara and Jayawardene, all of a sudden did not look too formidable a team to contend with. In the sub-continent, Bangladesh were now the new superpowers alongside the Indian team.
A last hurray for skipper extraordinaire?
What chances do Bangladesh realistically have going into the ICC World T20? Mashrafe Mortaza has led the team commendably having formed a great partnership with the coach Chandika Hathurusingha. The coach and captain seemed to have gelled well and their project of making Bangladesh a cricketing superpower seems to be working successfully as of now.
The team composition also seems to be very balanced and Bangladesh look like a formidable side even on paper. There are senior players like Shakib and Mahmudullah who are happy to play under Mortaza. At the same time, promising youngsters like Soumya Sarkar and Mustazifur Rahman have come through the ranks.
Mortaza's captaincy has been praised a lot by pundits after he took pro-active measures like introducing spin early on or promoting himself in the batting order to take more responsibility in the Asia Cup. His brilliance led Bangladesh to the final of the Asia Cup this year, once again validating the opinion that they are the new cricketing powerhouse in Asia.
Why would Mortaza want to harbour retirement plans when things are beginning to look up for Bangladesh? He admits that it has to do with his body and the way it is coping up to the constant stress of international cricket. “I guess the biggest reason is that I have started 15 years back. Some of the seniors like Tamim, Shakib and Mushfiqur only came into the side when I was already in the middle phase of my career," Mortaza said.
If this is going to be his last major ICC event, Mortaza will leave no stone unturned to lead the Tigers to glory. The team is playing well and the conditions will be very similar to what they have at home. On their day, they can beat any opposition with the positive brand of cricket they are playing right now. Mortaza's men might not have a better chance to script history.
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