Bangladesh ODI captain Mashrafee bin Murtaza bowls during a training session at the National Cricket Academy Groud in Mirpur on Saturday. — BCB photo
Bangladesh’s one-day international skipper Mashrafee bin Murtaza on Saturday returned to training and bowled for the first time in a few months ahead of the forthcoming Bangladesh Premier League, scheduled to start on December 11.
Mashrafee, who was out of all forms of cricket since ICC World Cup in England and Wales in May-July, bowled four overs to his Dhaka Platoon team-mate Tamim Iqbal during an hour-long training session at the National Cricket Academy in Mirpur.
The 36-year old has been struggling with his hamstring injury for the last few months and it ruled him out from ODI series in Sri Lanka in July after he sustained an injury during a net bowling session a day before team’s departure.
Since then he has been out of all cricketing activities with Bangladesh not having any ODI engagements and as the BPL will start in 10 days from now, he started his preparation for the tournament.
Dhaka Platoon head coach Mohammad Salahuddin was hopeful that they would get the service of Mashrafee from the start of the tournament and believed that his experience would help his side to do well in the competition.
‘I think he [Mashrafee] will play the whole tournament. I hope that he will perform well as well,’ Salahuddin told reporters in Mirpur.
‘Today [Saturday] he bowled for the first time [since his injury]. There is a problem in his rhythm. But I think that if he bowls for a few days then it will be sorted out.
‘The main advantage for us is his experience. We can never deny that. When he will play, he will give 100 per cent effort,’ he added.
Salahuddin claimed that Mashrafee didn’t feel any pain while bowling and he was well-motivated to perform for himself and the team in the upcoming BPL.
‘He has talked to the physio when he started bowling. He didn’t feel any pain when he was bowling. It also looked normal to me,’ he said.
‘I think Mashrafee is more motivated than me. He has been doing practice individually for last few days to regain fitness. He has reduced his weight. He has been trying to be fit. I think he is more motivated to do well for himself and the team,’ he added.
Source: New Age.
