Star Bangladesh Cricketer & Ex-Captain Mashrafe Tests Positive For COVID-19

Dhaka: Bangladesh cricketer and former captain Mashrafe Mortaza has tested positive for COVID-19.

“Bhaia (brother) has been suffering from fever for two days. COVID-19 test was conducted on Friday and we got the result today. He has been found positive for the virus. Bhaia is now staying in isolation at home in Dhaka. Please pray for him,” Mashrafe’s younger brother Morsalin Bin Mortaza was quoted as saying by Bangladesh media.

Mortaza became a Member of Parliament from Narail in 2018 and has been working to fight the coronavirus pandemic in his constituency.

Mortaza stepped down as the national team’s ODI captain during Bangladesh’s last home series against Zimbabwe in March. There has been talk of his retirement for quite some time, but he is yet to make an announcement.

The 36-year-old Mortaza has played 36 Tests, 220 ODIs and 54 T20Is. He had quit Test cricket in 2009, played his last T20I three years ago and had been concentrating on the 50-over format only of late.

Earlier in the day, current Bangladesh ODI captain Tamim Iqbal’s brother Nafees was also learnt to have tested positive for coronavirus. Nafees has played 11 Tests and 16 ODIs for Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has reported over 1 lakh coronavirus cases, with the death toll being just under 1500.

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi is another high-profile cricketer to have tested positive for coronavirus recently.

Also Read: Former Pakistan Cricketer Shahid Afridi Tests Positive For COVID-19