Mashrafe overwhelmed with emotion at release of his biography

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza’s impressive career has been a tale of his constant fight with injuries, and heroic comebacks.

Sports Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 19 Jan 2016, 01:18 PM
Updated : 19 Jan 2016, 03:03 PM

The Bangladesh skipper was overwhelmed with emotion while reminiscing those days of struggle on Monday.

The occasion was the launch of his biography written by sports journalist and writer Debabrata Mukherjee.

The book, titled Mashrafe, sketches the fast bowler’s early life in Narail, where he grew up, his tryst with Chitra River, arrival of the ‘Narail Express’ in Bangladesh cricket, and the ups and downs of his career.

This is the first book written on his life.

It was released at the team hotel in Khulna on Monday, where the entire Bangladesh squad for Zimbabwe series and coaching staff were present.

A “unique” press conference was the highlight of the programme where Mashrafe’s teammates fired an array of questions at their captain.

In reply to a query from Imrul Kayesh, he expressed his desire to write his autobiography after retirement.

The next questioner was Taskin Ahmed, whom Mashrafe fondly calls, “Hero.”

He asked: “Have you ever imagined that you will one day reach a stage when a book will be written on you?”

“Hero, play well. A bigger book will be penned on you,” Mashrafe quipped, sending the entire hall into peals of laughter.

Tamim, Mohamadullah and others, too, enjoyed the question-answer session.

Trainer Mario Villavara wanted to know what kept him motivated to make comebacks after injuries.

Mashrafe, who was in a jovial mood until then, suddenly turned emotional as he recalled his constant struggle with them.

With a lump in his voice, he advised Taskin, Abu Haider Rony and others, sitting on the first row, to take lessons from his life.

Mahmudullah narrated an interesting anecdote dating back to 2009 after Mashrafe took over as the captain of the Bangladesh cricket team.

Mahmudullah recalled how Mashrafe handed over an envelope to each of the players containing inspirational messages and mentioning team’s expectations from them.  
 
Stating that it really inspired him, Mahmudullah took the opportunity to thank the captain for the innovative gesture.   
 
Tamim Iqbal, too, chose the occasion to thank the captain for supporting him after he was devastated by the widespread criticism during 2015 World Cup.  
 
 National Team Coach Chandika Hathurusingha got on to the stage and jokingly remarked: “Mashrafe is so popular in Bangladesh that if he wants, he can join politics.”
 
The coach even enacted how Mashrafe walks around with a limp before a match. But he quickly added that Mashrafe gives not 100 percent but 200 percent on the field, forgetting about his injuries.
 
The book has been published by the Bangladesh Cricket Supporters Association (BCSA). It is rare for a supporters’ association to publish the  biography of a player.
 
Mashrafe was moved by this unprecedented show of respect and affection.