Ottis Gibson feels now could be the time for Mortaza to move on

DHAKA: Ottis Gibson, Bangladesh's bowling coach, has urged Mashrafe Mortaza to bid adieu to international cricket as he doesn't see the 36-year-old fast bowler in the scheme of things for the 2023 World Cup slated to be played in India.

Gibson, who joined Bangladesh in January this year, said that head coach Russell Domingo has to look at several younger bowlers to build a team in the next three years.

"I think he (Mortaza) has had an outstanding international career," ESPNcricinfo quoted Gibson as telling Bengali daily Prothom Alo on Monday.

"He has done himself and his country proud. With the next World Cup in 2023, any international coach will now start to build a team. I am quite sure that's what Russell will be thinking.

"So he would want to see players like young Hasan Mahmud, (Mohammad) Saifuddin, Shafiul (Islam) and Ebadot (Hossain.) We haven't seen Ebadot in white-ball cricket yet. There's Taskin (Ahmed) and Khaled (Ahmed) gets fit again. We have Hasan and (Mehedi Hasan) Rana. So there's a lot of young cricketers in the country," Gibson added.

According to Gibson, Domingo is now trying to build a team for the future and that's why Mortaza should now move on and can advise country's young fast bowlers in a different capacity.

"I think if Russell is now trying to build a team for the future, then I don't know what part Mashrafe will have to play in that. Perhaps now is his time, with all that's going on in the world, to move on," Gibson said.

"He (Mortaza) can find other ways to pass on his vast knowledge and experience to the young guys. I don't think he has to be on the field to be able to pass on what he has learned over his career. He needs to find other ways to pass on that message," he added.

Mortaza, had stepped down from captaincy during Bangladesh's last home series, against Zimbabwe in February. His retirement has been talked about for quite some time now however he hasn't made any official announcement

The right-arm bowler has so far represented Bangladesh in 220 ODIs in which he has scalped 270 wickets. He has also played 36 Tests and 54 T20Is in which he has picked 78 and 42 wickets respectively. IANS 

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