Out of favor Bangladesh batsman Mohammad Ashraful is not uncomfortable talking about the fixing scandal that saw him serve a ban.
Serving punishment after found guilty of match fixing in the Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20, Ashraful returned to the field in August 2018 and has featured in various domestic tournaments.
However, one thing the former Bangladesh captain has to face are questions on the incident that marred his career, let it be during his interaction with the media or in general.
With the people of the country mostly at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, the social media is busy with live sessions involving the cricketers.
During a session with a cricket-based online portal Thursday, Ashraful was queried if discussing his involvement with fixing again and again makes him irritated and uncomfortable.
“Why will I not speak about it? I have admitted of it [fixing], I have served the punishment and I got back to the field. There is nothing to hide about it and I do not get irritated when this topic is raised. With me it is I do not want to forget my past. There are many who doesn’t like to remember the past but I want to always remember the journey I have been trhough, the struggles I had,” said Ashraful.
“Yes, I feel bad for that incident [fixing scandal]. I believe I had the talent but I couldn’t make it to the best possible place. But honestly I do not feel bad or irritated if someone asks me about the incident. It is part of my life,” the right-handed batsman added.
Taking the public reaction into consideration, it is evident that not everyone has forgiven Ashraful for his deed, which the cricketer himself is aware of.
When asked if he thinks the players hold any reservations about him, especially in the national dressing room, Ashraful said, “I think there might be 5% that has not forgiven me. Talking of the players, I cannot say how I am seen in the national dressing room because I am not a part of it at the moment. But I have played the domestic tournament and there I did not feel uncomfortable and that I have not been forgiven. I believe I will be trusted when I am back to the national team.”
Ashraful nurtures the ambition of getting back to the national team but is well aware of the culture of cricket in Bangladesh.
“We are not yet into that culture [where age doesn’t matter for a cricketer]. If I was in a different country I would have been confident of making a comeback. But still I believe it is possible. I always want to get into the team supported by extraordinary performance. I do not want to get in just as a replacement. I played for the country for 12 years and I always had my place to myself,” said Ashraful.
In June 2014, Ashraful was handed a three-year suspension from domestic cricket and a five-year ban from internationals after a Bangladesh Cricket Board tribunal found him guilty of four charges of fixing matches in BPL T20 2013.
