Since Bangladesh’s entrance into Test cricket in 2000, Mashrafe Mortaza has been regarded as one of the best bowlers in the world. He is often credited with being one of the driving forces behind his country’s consistent growth in international cricket.
The young lad, who was born in Narail on October 5, 1983, was known in his hometown for his style from an early age, gaining him the nickname “Prince of Hearts.”
Background
He first gained notoriety in 2001 during an under-17 regional competition, where he bowled hard, slammed sixes, and displayed excellent fielding skills. Mortaza was drafted into the Test team, which was also his first first-class game, after Andy Roberts, Bangladesh’s coach, was impressed.
Debut
Mortaza made his Test and One-Day International debuts against Zimbabwe in 2001. He took two wickets in the first test and two in the first ODI for us.
Rise to Glory
When Bangladesh beat India for the first time in 2004, Mashrafe rose to fame after taking the mighty wickets of Virender Sehwag and MS Dhoni and making a valuable 31* at the lower order.
Mortaza was the world’s leading ODI wicket-taker in 2006, with 49 wickets, including a personal best of 6/26.
The following year, he was named Man of the Match after taking 4/38 in his side’s shock victory over India in the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Mortaza was part of Bangladesh’s first ODI win over the Kiwis when they visited Bangladesh in October 2008, taking 4/44.
Mashrafe and Nazmul Hossain plunged Sri Lanka to new depths in 2009, taking five wickets for six runs.
He failed to bowl his quota of 10 overs due to injury in the 2012 Asia Cup, but he ended as Bangladesh’s top seamer with six wickets in four matches.
Captaincy
During the series against the West Indies in mid-2009, he was appointed captain of the Bangladesh side. The team won the game and the series, but Mashrafe was injured in the first game and did not return to the lineup for the rest of the series. In the summer of 2010, he led Bangladesh to a win over England in Bristol.
Mashrafe led his team to ODI series victories over Pakistan (3-0) and India (2-1) at home after the 2015 World Cup. Bangladesh has qualified for the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy in England due to these performances.
Low Points
Mashrafe’s career and injuries were inextricably linked. The amount of time he was injured accounts for the remainder of his career.
Whether it was a vital series against Pakistan in 2002 or the ICC Champions Trophy in 2006, the speedster was forced to withdraw due to injury. He finally opted to stick to the shorter formats of the game, playing his final test against the West Indies in 2009.
Club Career
Mortaza was signed by the Kolkata Knight Riders of the Indian Premier League for $600,000 in February 2009. He is a competent lower-order batsman who can make effective use of the long stick.
Mortaza was signed as a captain by the Dhaka Gladiators for 45,000 USD during the player auction for the first edition of the Bangladesh Premier League, and he lived up to the award by leading the team to victory.
Retirement
Mortaza declared his retirement from Twenty20 internationals after the Sri Lanka tour on April 4, 2017. He did, however, intend to continue playing for his nation in ODIs.