Bangladesh star Ashraful has 2019 World Cup in mind
Life is not like a bed of roses for any cricketer. Things are not only same for the former captain of Bangladesh Mohammad Ashraful, but also brutally true. He was slapped with a ban of eight years for his involvement in match-fixing during the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) back in 2013.
The ban was reduced to five years, and has ended on 13 August 2018.
The Bangladesh star is now hoping to make a comeback to the national side. At a media interview on Tuesday at Dhaka, Ashraful insisted that he is dreaming of a comeback to national team and play his fourth World Cup, all set to be held in England next year.
‘I did not target any series to make the national team again. But yes, I have a dream to play the next World Cup. I have played three World Cups before. I missed the 2015 edition of biggest cricketing event due to my punishment,’ Ashraful said.
‘I know it is not an easy dream to fulfill. My initial target is to perform well in National Cricket League. If I do something to draw the attention of selectors, they might call me to the national side,’ he added.
Ashraful’s dream to play for Bangladesh again does not seem to be fiction, as the chief of Bangladesh Cricket Board selection committee Minhazul Abedin said, ‘For now, there is no room in the national team for a player who was away from playing the highest level of cricket for a long time. But it is true that if someone play the better brand of cricket, he might be considered for a national call. The door of the national team is always open for the better performers.’
Ashraful, during the last Dhaka Premier League, the country’s lone List-A tournament, smashed five centuries while playing for Kalabagan Krira Chakra.
Ashraful also has a chance to play in the inaugural edition of the Afghanistan Premier League, that is set to be played from October 5, and he is expecting a place in the players’ draft for the event.
‘I hope I will get a chance to play in this league and that will help me to answer the question that has been raised regarding my fitness and ability,’ the right handed batsman said.