'Mashrafe is nothing in Bangladesh cricket'

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, the former captain of Bangladesh team and now leading Sylhet Strikers in the Bangladesh Premier League, urged the media to give more emphasis on upcoming players of the country instead of highlighting him in the news.

Mashrafe made the remark in reply to a question regarding his future in cricket following his team's 52-run defeat against Comilla Victorians in Sylhet on Friday – a third defeat in three games.

"The topic is not about me. I got six questions here about Mashrafe," Mashrafe said at the post-match press conference. "Look, you have to think that Mashrafe is nothing in Bangladesh cricket. Those who are going to serve Bangladesh cricket for the next 10 years, think about them. Instead of thinking about what catches the eye of the people, you should think about what should be done to improve Bangladesh cricket," 

Amidst criticism over his fitness, the Sylhet captain had earlier admitted that it's "not an ideal situation" for him to play in the ongoing BPL. However, the 40-year-old, on Friday, hinted that he might feature in the next edition of the BPL if his fitness allows.

"If my legs are doing well, then maybe yes. I want to do it my way. If I could play with my full intensity similar to what I did in the previous season, then I would give a thought about my future. Since I am not able to give my full, I have to think about it later," Mashrafe said.