“My fitness is quite good, so I am getting the courage to play”

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Bangladesh pace bowler Mashrafe Mortaza has not played Test cricket since 2009, but he will be representing Khulna Division in their next first-class match against Rangpur on October 10 to see whether he is fit enough to resurrect his Test career.

During his last Test, in which he was captain, Mortaza injured his knee after bowling just 6.3 overs and he was subsequently sidelined for three months. Following that injury, Mortaza struggled to stay in good enough shape to keep up with the hardships that come with playing five-day cricket.

Mortaza has also not played any first-class cricket since January 2014, during which he represented East Zone in one Bangladesh Cricket League game and Khulna in a NCL match. But, Mortaza has opted to see whether his body can withstand the rigours of four-day cricket before he makes a decision on his possible Test return.

“I will play from the NCL’s next round for Khulna against Rangpur from October 10,” Mashrafe told reporters. “I will also play one more game but not two in a row. I will play the other one later. Now my fitness is quite good, so I am getting the courage to play. I am even thinking about Test cricket. Now I have to see how it goes in the NCL.”