Cricketer Mashrafe Mortaza to contest Bangladesh parliamentary polls

London [UK], Nov 26 (ANI): Bangladesh ODI skipper Mashrafe Mortaza is all set to contest the 11th parliamentary elections of the country on ruling party Awami League's ticket.
The 35-year-old will be contesting from Narail-2 constituency which is also his home district on December 30, ESPNcricinfo reported.
Confirming the report on his official Facebook account, the all-rounder explained how he has always been interested in politics. "The persecution of politics was within me. Because I always believed that the development of the country without politics is not very strongly possible. I played cricket, got your love. Otherwise, I would have lost in 2011. The love that I received from you in 2011 helped me run for seven years. Now I have a chance to do something for the people of my country," he wrote.
Mortaza, however, said he does not want to compromise his 2019 World Cup plans. "In 2001, cricket started in the courtyard. Today is 2018. I played cricket for about half a century and I played it wholeheartedly. I do not want to compromise until the next World Cup. The rest is God's will," he added.
Mortaza has played a total of 36 Tests scalping 78 wickets with an economy rate of 3.24. In ODI's he has picked up 252 wickets in 199 matches with an economy rate of 4.82. (ANI)