Adieu Mashrafe Mortaza

Indeed he was great as a player but it was his extraordinary captaincy that elevated him in the eyes of his teammates and the adoring fans even further

Mashrafe Mortaza’s retirement from T-20 internationals–who virtually means his retirement from all forms of international cricket– has saddened cricket lovers all over the country. With his great ability with both the bat and ball he had that rare gift of being a game changer and repeatedly did change the game in his team’s favour in a matter of a few overs. Yet, however wonderful he was as a player, it was his extraordinary captaincy that elevated him in the eyes of his teammates and the adoring fans even further. By any definition he was a true leader of men who inspired his teammates to reach great heights. When a loss seemed inevitable it was Mortaza who cajoled and motivated his boys (he often referred to his team mates as my boys) to play out of their skin and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
His leadership skills were not limited to the ground only. Whenever a player felt down he could approach Mortaza with his problems. He had excellent relationship with his coaches and the team management and his disciplinary record was impeccable. Unlike many contemporary popular cricketers Mortaza was a modest and humble man. He was not given to verbosity. While talking to the media he came across as a straight forward and firmly grounded person. As he once famously said that it is not cricketers but the freedom fighters who are real heroes. Be that as it may, Mashrafe Mortaza was hero by any definition of the term. He gave his all for the team and often played with injuries. Indeed he had to undergo a number of surgeries. In the last few years he bowled with heavy braces on both his knees. With age and injuries the first genuine Bangladeshi fast bowler lost his speed but he more than made up for it by his guile and intelligence,
There is no doubt that he will be missed and many believe that he could easily have played for at least a couple of seasons more. However at the end of the day one must respect his decisions. For any sportsperson it is always better to retire when everyone is asking “why?” rather than “when?”
Performing on the field, leading the side and interacting with the media can take its toll. He has a magnificent physique but the body can only take so much for so long. We wish Mortaza the best for his future endeavours. But we do hope that he will remain connected with the game–in some capacity– he loves so much.    

 

 

Adieu Mashrafe Mortaza

Indeed he was great as a player but it was his extraordinary captaincy that elevated him in the eyes of his teammates and the adoring fans even further

Mashrafe Mortazas retirement from T-20 internationalswho virtually means his retirement from all forms of international cricket has saddened cricket lovers all over the country. With his great ability with both the bat and ball he had that rare gift of being a game changer and repeatedly did change the game in his teams favour in a matter of a few overs. Yet, however wonderful he was as a player, it was his extraordinary captaincy that elevated him in the eyes of his teammates and the adoring fans even further. By any definition he was a true leader of men who inspired his teammates to reach great heights. When a loss seemed inevitable it was Mortaza who cajoled and motivated his boys (he often referred to his team mates as my boys) to play out of their skin and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. His leadership skills were not limited to the ground only. Whenever a player felt down he could approach Mortaza with his problems. He had excellent relationship with his coaches and the team management and his disciplinary record was impeccable. Unlike many contemporary popular cricketers Mortaza was a modest and humble man. He was not given to verbosity. While talking to the media he came across as a straight forward and firmly grounded person. As he once famously said that it is not cricketers but the freedom fighters who are real heroes. Be that as it may, Mashrafe Mortaza was hero by any definition of the term. He gave his all for the team and often played with injuries. Indeed he had to undergo a number of surgeries. In the last few years he bowled with heavy braces on both his knees. With age and injuries the first genuine Bangladeshi fast bowler lost his speed but he more than made up for it by his guile and intelligence, There is no doubt that he will be missed and many believe that he could easily have played for at least a couple of seasons more. However at the end of the day one must respect his decisions. For any sportsperson it is always better to retire when everyone is asking why? rather than when? Performing on the field, leading the side and interacting with the media can take its toll. He has a magnificent physique but the body can only take so much for so long. We wish Mortaza the best for his future endeavours. But we do hope that he will remain connected with the gamein some capacity he loves so much.