Former Bangladesh national cricket team pacer Mohammad Sharif retired from all formats on Saturday with coronavirus pandemic making his cricketing future uncertain.
‘I have been thinking about it [retirement] for a while. But at present situation [coronavirus], the looming uncertainty pushed me to take the final call,’ Sharif told New Age over phone.
‘I don’t think we will see cricket back in action this year,’ said Sharif, who is currently locked down in his home in Narayanganj, a hotbed for the coronavirus outbreak in Bangladesh.
Therefore, I think this is the time to say goodbye,’ said the 35-year old pacer, who represented Bangladesh in 10 Tests and nine one-day internationals.
Sharif broke into the scene as a young pacer back in 2001 with his impressive performance in the National Cricket League.
He possessed the ability to swing the ball both ways and could produce reverse swing which is a rare quality among the Bangladeshi pacers.
But injury and joining the rebel Indian Cricket League cut short his days in the national team.
He was a regular face in the domestic circuit. Sharif played for Brothers Union in the Dhaka Premier league in 2019 and also played first-class cricket till 2018.
Despite retiring from cricket, Sharif hinted his future as a coach.
‘I have played cricket for 20 years or more. So I cannot think of doing anything outside of it. Maybe I will take up coaching, or something else that suits me,’ he said.
-new age
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