Bangladesh national cricket team’s ODI captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, who took oath on Thursday as the Narail 2 lawmaker from the ruling Awami League, is likely to be included into Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s new Cabinet.
The prime minister may pick Mashrafe, a role model for many of the country’s young generation, as the deputy minister for the Youth and Sports Ministry.
If that happens, Mashrafe will replace former Bangladesh football team captain Arif Khan Joy as the deputy minister of that portfolio.
Mashrafe, fondly known as the “Narail Express” among cricket fans, had enjoyed a landslide win — with 271,210 votes — against Jatiya Oikya Front candidate Fariduzzaman from the Narail 2 seat in Sunday’s 11th general election.
With Fariduzzaman bagging only 7,883 votes, Mashrafe's share of votes had amounted to over 96%.
Mashrafe is the second national cricket team captain after Naimur Rahman Durjoy to become a member of parliament.
However, Mashrafe, who is eager to play in the next ICC Cricket World Cup, is the first active player to become an MP in the country’s parliament.
Mashrafe had collected Awami League’s nomination form on November 11 and was subsequently awarded the party’s nomination.
