# Mashrafe Mortaza

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (Bengali: মাশরাফি বিন মর্তুজা ; born 5 October 1983), often referred to as Narail Express, is a Bangladeshi former international cricketer and politician.

## Quotes

* Let me shatter some illusions today. We are entertainers. We are not heroes. The heroes are our freedom fighters. We do not sacrifice anything for the cause of the nation. The freedom fighters did. Don't misunderstand me, cricket is not everything. What we try to do is to bring happiness to our nation.
* I am a cricketer but can I save a life? A doctor can. But no-one claps for the best doctor in the country. Create myths around them. They will save more lives. They are the stars. The labourers are the stars, they build the country. What have we built using cricket? Can we make even a brick using cricket? Does paddy grow on the cricket field? Those who make courtyards using bricks, make things at factories, grow crops in the fields – they are the stars.
* I do not see myself as so cheap (low) that I would judge myself on a trophy. I do not play cricket for a trophy. A trophy is very important at one stage, and I believe Inshallah one day, Bangladesh will win one. It is important because it will boost the young generation coming into cricket. So in that sense you can say Bangladesh need a trophy, but not necessarily right now. And from a personal point of view, if you judge Mashrafe based on a trophy, that is up to you, but I do not see myself as that cheap (low).
* I say, those who cry ‘patriotism, patriotism’ around cricket, if all of them for one day did not drop banana skin on the streets or did not spit on the streets or obeyed traffic rules, the country would have changed. This huge energy was not wasted after cricket and was used to do one’s work honestly even for a day, that would be showing patriotism. I do not understand the definition of patriotism of these people.
* I never planned ahead for anything in my life -- not for my exams, not when I had to buy clothes for an occasion -- I always do things at the last moment. So when I got the captaincy, I kept doing what I always did. I never thought about success, failure, future or past.
* What do we do? If I say it very bluntly – we take money, we perform. Like a singer or an actor, we do performing art. Nothing more. The Muktijoddhad [1971 Liberation warriors] didn’t face bullets to get money on winning. Who is being compared to whom? If there are any heroes in cricket, they are Rakibul Hasans or martyrs like [Abdul Halim] Jewel... Rakibul Bhai had dared to enter the cricket field with ‘Joy Bangla’ inscribed on his bat [before the 1971 Liberation]. That is big. Even bigger was his going to the front with his father’s gun. Shohid (martyr) Jewel left cricket and joined the crack platoon [a 1971 Liberation war guerrilla formation]. That is bravery. Dealing with fast-bowling has romanticism and duty, not bravery.
* If I do not perform, then I have to move away. If you come to play for the country, then you have to be responsible when representing the flag of the country. 160 million people are watching, 160 million people have judgment. It must be paid.
* If I could play 100 more matches with my 200 wickets, then I could have been a more important bowler. Perhaps everyone would have been very proud of me if I was a bowler of 300 or 350 wickets. I believe I have the ability to play for a long time, but even though I have played for 14 years for the country, I still lost three to four years due to the injury.
* I do not know how long I can continue my game with this team. But I can assure you that when I realize that my skills and willpower are decreasing, then I will drop myself.

## Quotes about Mashrafe Mortaza

* Mashrafe is ‘a piece of diamond’. People all over the world admire him. I know he will do well both in the cricket field and in Narail.
** Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
* When you look at Bangladesh, Mashrafe is a fine captain. He leads by example. He is a warrior-like captain and all the guys follow him.
** Steve Rhodes
* Mashrafe Mortaza is a fighter.
** Courtney Walsh
* Mashrafe Bin Mortaza is highly regarded not only in Bangladesh but all over the cricketing world due to his achievements and commitment towards the game.
** Brendon McCullum
* I think he is the best talented cricketer in the history of Bangladesh.
** Sir Andy Roberts
* Mashrafe is of course an incredible captain. He is experienced and as a human being, he is excellent as well. He makes everyone laugh with funny little talks. It has been really nice to play under his captaincy. He listened to everyone attentively which was very nice gesture from him. He is the one who never give up. Everyone in the team respects him.
** Chris Gayle
* I love Mash a lot There is a good relationship between us. Earlier, we played as the opponent. I played together this time, it was a good time.
** AB de Villiers
* Great pleasure to work alongside this top man, Mashrafe Mortaza.
** Tom Moody
* Mash is a type of guy you want to play for. He gives 100% so you have to give 100%. It is good for any team. Nobody can be lazy with Mash. He is a good cricketer. He is a very accurate bowler, and he can smack the ball against the spinners. He has authority, which is good.
** Ravi Bopara
* Mashrafe is a top-class captain. One of the best Asia has produced.
** Aakash Chopra
* Mahsrafe is one of the finest human beings he has ever worked with. That is perhaps why most of the young cricketers in the current side see him as their icon, as their mentor, as someone whom they all look up to.
** Dav Whatmore
* When I used to hear him speak about me in that way, it gave me a positive mindset. He did it through the tournament. I might play under a better captain than him but I seriously doubt whether if anyone else will take care of me like Mashrafe bhai (brother).
** Tamim Iqbal
* He led the team with utmost determination and grit despite losing the likes of Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal. He rated Mashrafe Mortaza as the best skipper of Asia Cup 2018
** Rameez Raja
* Some people may say he’s unfit. But the truth is if he is unfit now, then he has been unfit for the last 10 years – his knees were never okay. But then we saw it emotionally. Now, maybe we are looking at it as a big deal because things are not perfect for him in the last few matches. We are talking about a person on whose back (holding his hand) we have come here. I think it is very unfortunate because considering Mashrafe’s contribution behind the Bangladesh team and bringing the team to this stage, to make comments like these on him is very unfair. I think he deserves much more respect than he is getting.
** Tamim Iqbal
* Mashrafe is the biggest inspiration of mine. He is a living legend. He is my Hero.
** Taskin Ahmed
* Fifteen years ago we were in India for an A team tour, just before the Test series against Zimbabwe in which Mashrafe would make his Test debut.We were having dinner on the balcony of the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai when the club's president, Raj Singh Dungarpur, walked up to us and asked who the captain of the team was. I stood up and shook his hand. He said, "Please play well tomorrow. Don't lose too badly."Mashrafe was just a kid back then. He asked me what was being said, and I told him. I think Mr Dungarpur's words did us a huge favour that day. Mashrafe bowled really fast in that game, and took three wickets. I have seen Taskin bowl, but in those days, Mashrafe was really quick. That day, Mashrafe showed us how good he would be for Bangladesh.
** Khaled Mahmud
* Mashrafe, the best captain of ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. Mashrafe is ahead of Indian captain Virat Kohli and England captain Eoin Morgan.
** Shoaib Akhtar
* Mashrafe bhai's (brother) first series as Bangladesh captain, he handed me an envelope in the airport lounge. "Read it later," he said. I got on the plane and opened the envelope. The letter I read that day is something that I still remember. He had written some very inspiring words about me, and it seemed like he had taken a lot of time to write it, with lots of personal touches. He is an extraordinary human being who has taken our team to new heights. He is like an older brother, a friend. I pray that he leads Bangladesh into more success, and may he play for many years.
** Mahmudullah
* I always found Mashrafe to be a freakishly talented and determined individual. There are many occasions when he was unfit but pulled himself out somehow and managed to perform really well.
** Habibul Bashar
* We were playing T20s in Ireland in 2012, and Mashrafe had just returned from an injury. In the first couple of games he struggled a little while bowling, so he was mentally down about it. During a team dinner before the next game, we spoke for ages, and I remember on the bus ride home he opened up about his numerous operations, most of them with no support to and from the hospitals, and then rehab. I was taken aback by his story. He is truly inspirational and you could tell he was a deep thinker, smart and extremely determined.
** Shane Jurgensen
* I believe in you, he said. I can't explain how much it motivated me. I went on to be selected and I did quite well in that series. This is what Mashrafe bhai does to players. He can motivate them in many ways.
** Shahriar Nafees
* Clearly, as you saw in the field, Mashrafe is still the best bowler of the side, and once again he proved it today. But the 2019 World Cup is in just two years, and they have to decide if he can last for two more years.
** Rahul Dravid
* Elder brother, an idol, Motivator; Mashrafe Mortaza bhai (brother) means a lot to me.
** Mustafizur Rahman
* Mashrafe is a very skilled cricketer. And he always wants to learn something new. He wants to take himself on top by doing well. I see such trends in him.
** Courtney Walsh
* Mashrafe is so popular in Bangladesh that if he wants, he can join politics.
** Chandika Hathurusingha

## External Links

* Official website
* Mashrafe, a leader, an inspiration
* Mashrafe The Torchbearer
* Mashrafe Mortaza on Facebook
* Mashrafe Mortaza on Instagram
* Mashrafe Mortaza on Twitter
* Mashrafe Mortaza quotes on Bengali