Bangladesh’s new one-day international captain Mashrafee bin Murtaza is looking forward to get the best out of his leadership quality in the upcoming days.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board on Tuesday dismissed wicketkeeper batsman Mushfiqur Rahim as the one-day international captain and replaced him with paceman Mashrafee, introducing a split captaincy for the first time.
The decision follows the team’s return from a disastrous tour of the West Indies where Bangladesh lost all the completed contests against their hosts in both Test matches and ODIs.
Mashrafe was put in charge only for the five-match ODI series against Zimbabwe, who will arrive in late October for a tour which will also include three Tests.
‘Naturally there will be pressure,’ Mashrafee told reporters in Incheon on Wednesday. But I relish the challenge. When you can take the best out in a difficult situation you will always enjoy the game.’
Mashrafee has not played a Test match since 2009 when he injured himself leading Bangladesh for the first time in a Test match against West Indies. He is, however, a regular in ODI and Twenty20 side barring some injury-related breaks.
His injury-prone nature prompted the BCB to give him captaincy on a series, something the paceman accepted sportingly.
‘You cannot help if there is still an injury,’ said Mashrafee. [But] I can manage my injury and hopefully it would not be a hurdle.’
Chief selector Faruk Ahmed, who is also in Korea now, hopes Mashrafee will remain injury-free in the Zimbabwe series, which will help him keep the charge during the World Cup in Australia-New Zealand next year.
‘We just have five ODI’s before the World Cup and hopefully he will be able pull through,’ he said.
Tamim Iqbal and Sakib al Hasan were appointed vice-captain for Test and ODI side respectively in a massive change in policy as BCB has now brought all senior players in some kind of leadership role.
-With New Age input
