Mashrafe Mortaza set to participate in Bangladesh national election for ruling party

Bangladesh ODI captain Mashrafe Mortaza is all set to compete in the country’s next national election that is set to be held on 23 December this year. He will contest in the election for the ruling party Bangladesh Awami League.

The Deputy Office Secretary of Awami League, Biplab Barua, said to bdnews24.com yesterday that Mashrafe is set to collect nomination form of Awami League on Sunday. He has also said that Shakib Al Hasan was also set to collect his nomination form for the Awami League.

However, he overturned his decision after meeting with the prime minister Shiekh Hasina on Saturday night. Some reports of the national media suggested that prime minister directed Shakib to concentrate on playing cricket as the World Cup is not too far.

Mashrafe will compete in Narail-2, that his home-town. He is already involved in the social activity as he runs a foundation called ‘Narail Express’ in his local area.

Mashrafe has played 36 Tests, 199 ODIs, and 54 T20Is for Bangladesh. The right-handed medium pacer called off his T20Is career back in 2016 during the Sri Lanka tour, but he is yet to say goodbye to Test and ODI cricket.

This is the first time in Bangladesh that a current player is going to compete in the national election. It is a popular belief that Mashrafe Mortaza will captain Bangladesh in next year's World Cup that will take place in England.

His decision to compete in the election created a mixed reaction among his fans. Many fans welcomed his decision to join in politics, but here a few fans who expressed their disappointments through social media.

It is not a rare occasion for a Bangladeshi cricketer competing in the national election as Naimur Rahman, the first Test captain of Bangladesh, is an elected parliament member. But, he got involved in politics after retiring from the highest level of the game of cricket.

And it is not also rare for the subcontinent cricketers to join politics as the current prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan, was a great cricketer. Additionally, Arjuna Ranatunga, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mohammad Azharuddin, and Navjot Singh Sidhu are in the list of cricketers-turned-politicians as well.