"I said then that since we changed our captaincy in T20s, we are thinking along that line. We took the decision to change T20 captaincy keeping the (2020) World T20 in mind. But this has nothing to do with ODIs. There were absolutely no talks regarding replacing Mashrafe as the captain. But the way it spread, it seems Mashrafe will be dropped from ODIs right at this very moment and his replacement is being searched."There is no reason for that to happen. You have to remember two things. Firstly, Mashrafe is there not only as a player but also as a captain. The way he has performed his duties and is continuing to do it, it is almost impossible to find his substitute. At the moment there is no substitute of his to perform the role. Mashrafe is doing it beautifully. "Secondly, if you consider performance, definitely, his displays are very good among our fast bowlers. This always plays in our mind; what will happen when Shakib [al Hasan] retires, what will we do if Mushfiqur [Rahim] is not there. We always think about it and will continue to do so. But after I talked that day, if the recent talk shows are anything to go by then it would seem we will drop Mashrafe from the side right at this very moment," said the BCB supremo. He added, "This is an uncomfortable situation for him and for us as well. Let me make it clear. As long as he continues playing, there are no questions of dropping him. Because he is there not only as a player, but also as a captain. It is impossible for Bangladesh to find a captain like him." Meanwhile, Test cricketer Mohammad Shahid’s wife Farzana Aktar recently came to the BCB office and lodged a complaint regarding some of their personal matter.
Also read: Shahid’s wife lodges complaint to BCB
In the last few years, such kinds of cases have often happened and the BCB boss believes cricketers should be more cautious in order to avoid these incidents. “I believe it is important to become a good human being, besides being a good cricketer. But from BCB, it is hard to control their personal and family affairs. But BCB always takes strong action against such unwanted incidents. We hope such kinds of issues will reduce in future. But if not, then BCB will take strong action,” he said. “Cricketers are very popular in our country these days. General people often want to take photos with them in markets or food courts. Sometimes players have to approve such requests. But I think players will be more cautious from now on. Cricketers are role models to the young generation. So from that perspective, cricketers should not get involved in untoward incidents, both willingly and unwillingly, so that people cannot raise questions against them. From BCB’s point of view, we will be more strict from now on and talk with the players and give them instructions. We hope that these kinds of situations will reduce very soon,” he concluded.
