Mashrafe Bin Mortaza

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza is a Bangladeshi cricketer who is regarded as one of the most successful captains in the history of Bangladesh cricket. He is also known as "Narail Express" due to his impressive pace bowling.

Early Life and Career

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza was born on October 5, 1983, in Narail, a small town in southwestern Bangladesh. His father, Golam Mortaza, was a local businessman, and his mother, Hamida Mortaza, was a homemaker. Mashrafe was the youngest of four siblings and had a passion for cricket from a very young age.

Mashrafe made his debut for Bangladesh in 2001 at the age of 18. He was a promising fast bowler, and his performances in the domestic circuit earned him a call-up to the national team. He made his debut against Zimbabwe and took two wickets in the match.

International Career

Mashrafe soon established himself as the spearhead of the Bangladesh bowling attack. He was known for his accuracy and his ability to generate pace and bounce on flat tracks. He played a crucial role in Bangladesh's first-ever Test match win against Zimbabwe in 2005. Mashrafe's figures of 5/52 in the first innings helped Bangladesh to a historic victory.

In 2007, Mashrafe was appointed as the captain of the Bangladesh cricket team. He led the team to the Super Eights of the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, which was a major achievement for a team that was considered to be the underdogs of the tournament.

Mashrafe's leadership skills were put to the test when Bangladesh toured Sri Lanka in 2009. The team was down 2-0 in the series, and Mashrafe inspired his team to a remarkable comeback. Bangladesh won the third and final match of the series, with Mashrafe taking three wickets and scoring an unbeaten 30 with the bat.

Mashrafe's career was hampered by injuries, and he had to undergo several surgeries to keep playing cricket. However, he never gave up and always came back stronger. He was appointed as the captain of the ODI team in 2014 and led Bangladesh to the quarterfinals of the 2015 ICC World Cup, which was the team's best-ever performance in the tournament.

Mashrafe's Legacy

Mashrafe retired from international cricket in 2020, bringing an end to a career that spanned over 19 years. He played 36 Tests, 220 ODIs, and 54 T20Is for Bangladesh and took a total of 269 wickets in his international career.

Mashrafe is regarded as one of the most successful captains in the history of Bangladesh cricket. He led the team in 87 ODIs and won 49 of them, which is the highest number of wins by a Bangladesh captain in the format. He also led the team to its first-ever series win against India, Pakistan, and South Africa. 

Off the field, Mashrafe is known for his philanthropic work. He founded the Narail Express Foundation, which provides support to underprivileged people in his hometown of Narail. The foundation has provided aid to people affected by natural disasters, as well as those in need of medical assistance.

Mashrafe is also an Organ of the Parliament in Bangladesh. He won the 2018 general election from the Narail-2 constituency as a candidate of the ruling Awami League party. He has used his position to advocate for the development of sports in Bangladesh and has been a vocal supporter of cricket in the country.

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