Mashrafe Mortaza has once left the Bangladesh Cricket Board hanging about his future as he wants two months more to think about his future, BCB chief Nazamul Hasan revealed on Saturday August 17, Cricbuzz reports.
The board was planning to host a one-off farewell game against Zimbabwe for the ODI captain but the plans have now been shelved.
BCB had recently announced Bangladesh will host Afghanistan in a one-off Test, followed by a tri-nation T20I series involving Afghanistan and Zimbabwe in September. They were planning to host the ODI either in between the Test and tri-series or following the two series' and had taken the decision despite the heavy finances involved where the board will have to cough up around Tk60 lakhs [BDT] to cover up the logistical and other expenses.
There is a high chance Mashrafe will now not get a farewell game in front of the home crowd as Bangladesh play their next ODI at home only in December 2020. "We want to arrange an ODI match with Zimbabwe.
We discussed with Mashrafe whether we should do that. And he thinks it's too early. Because our next ODI is on March. So he doesn't want to take the decision now. He wants two months. So we have decided to wait for two months as we don't have any ODI match for now," Hasan said.
"Let me tell you one thing it [the farewell] is not the concern of the board only because the player will have to think about it. If the player does not think that way there is no point. Because if a player thinks that I won't go and just axe me from the side then what's benefit from that. We don't want that to happen but you have to understand the mindset of our cricketers. Our job is to inform them and tell them that we want to do it in a good way but the decision is up to the player. If he can make the decision it is alright and if that is not the case board will take the decision. We want to give them a chance to end everything on a perfect note but they have to take the decision."
Mashrafe's retirement plans have been frequent rounds as the form has dipped for the pacer. The veteran though had stressed he'd consider his future plans after returning to Bangladesh after the World Cup.
The unexpected injury ahead of the tour of Sri Lanka came as a blow as it stopped him from having a look at his own self and form after the disastrous World Cup - where he picked only one wicket from eight matches.
Mashrafe's indecisiveness has also left the BCB hanging who now need to finalise an ODI captain because the pacer was appointed captain till the end of the 2019 World Cup.
