Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (born 5 October 1983), popularly known as the Narail Express, is a Bangladeshi politician and former cricketer who captained the Bangladesh national cricket team in all three formats of the game. He is widely regarded as the most successful captain in the history of Bangladesh cricket and played a pivotal role in the country's rise as a competitive cricketing nation.
| Full name | Mashrafe Bin Mortaza |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Narail Express |
| Date of birth | 5 October 1983 |
| Nationality | Bangladeshi |
| Role | Right-arm fast bowler |
| Test debut | 2001, against Zimbabwe |
| National team | Bangladesh |
| IPL franchise (2009) | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| Constituency (MP) | Narail-2 (2019–2024) |
| Retirement from captaincy | 6 March 2020 |
Mashrafe was drafted into the Bangladesh Test team after impressing Andy Roberts, then coaching Bangladesh, in his debut first-class match. He made his Test debut against Zimbabwe in 2001. Later that year, in a Test against New Zealand at Hamilton, he became the first Bangladeshi pace bowler to bowl a delivery clocked at over 147 km/h.
In 2006, Mashrafe was the world's highest wicket-taker in One Day Internationals (ODIs), claiming 49 wickets that year. He was named Man of the Match in Bangladesh's victory over India in the 2007 Cricket World Cup, where his four-wicket haul contributed to India's elimination from the group stage.
Mashrafe was signed by the Kolkata Knight Riders for US$600,000 ahead of the 2009 edition of the Indian Premier League.
Mashrafe took over as captain after the 2009 ICC World Twenty20, leading Bangladesh to series wins over the West Indies and Zimbabwe. An ankle injury sustained during this period forced him to hand the captaincy to Shakib Al Hasan. A subsequent tear in his knee ligament ruled him out of the 2011 Cricket World Cup.
After a four-year absence from the leadership, Mashrafe returned to captain Bangladesh at the 2015 Cricket World Cup, where the team reached the quarter-finals for the first time, before being eliminated by India.
Following the 2015 World Cup, Mashrafe led Bangladesh to consecutive home ODI series victories against Pakistan (3–0), India (2–1) and World Cup runners-up New Zealand (3–2) — the first such results in the country's cricket history. These performances established Bangladesh as a strong ODI side at home and secured qualification for the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, where Bangladesh finished as semi-finalists.
Under his captaincy, Bangladesh were runners-up at the Asia Cup in two consecutive editions (2016 and 2018), losing to India on both occasions.
Mashrafe is the most successful captain in the history of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), winning three titles:
Mashrafe became only the fifth bowler in history to take 100 ODI wickets as captain. In 2019, he was ranked among the world's most famous athletes on the ESPN World Fame 100. Andy Roberts has described him as the most talented cricketer in Bangladesh.
Mashrafe's career was significantly affected by recurring injuries. He sustained fifteen injuries over the course of his career and underwent ten operations on his knees and ankles.
On 6 March 2020, at the age of 37, Mashrafe announced his retirement from the captaincy of the national team after leading Bangladesh in the final match of the ODI series against Zimbabwe.
Mashrafe served as a member of the Jatiya Sangsad, the national parliament of Bangladesh, representing the Narail-2 constituency from 2019 to 2024.
Mashrafe Mortaza is regarded as a transformative figure in Bangladesh cricket. His captaincy coincided with Bangladesh's emergence as a consistent ODI side, particularly at home, and with the country's first deep runs in major ICC tournaments. His longevity despite repeated surgeries has made him a symbol of resilience in the Bangladeshi sporting landscape.