Abrar Hussain: The international ban on former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful ceased yesterday, however, Chief Selector Minhajul Abedin has said that he ‘does not see room’ for the batsman in the current national team.
In 2013, Ashraful was found guilty of match-fixing in the Bangladesh Premier League and was sentenced to an 8-year ban by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). The ban was eventually reduced to five years, with two years’ suspended sentence following Ashraful’s appeal.
Nevertheless, Minhajul said Ashraful could play in all formats in domestic cricket but his level of fitness has to be analysed for at least a year before making a call on his return to international cricket, reported BDnews.
“I would say that he doesn’t have a place in the team at this moment. He is not attached to the level of fitness of the teams from HP to ‘A’ team to the national side. He will have to give himself some more time to reach this level,” the chief selector told the media the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
“We can consider his case if he can stay at this level. So, now we are not thinking about him,” Minhajul added, reassuring that age will not be a barrier for Ashraful, who turned 34 on July 7.