Sylhet Strikers have ruled out any possibility of Mashrafe Bin Mortaza returning to the team for the remainder of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) season. The former Bangladesh captain and current Whip of the Parliament has been busy with his political duties and has not played since the first three matches of the tournament.

Sylhet coach Rajin Saleh confirmed the news to the media in Chattogram on Friday, saying that Mashrafe had informed the team management about his unavailability. “He has a lot of work to do as a Whip and he can’t manage time for cricket right now. He told us that he won’t be able to play any more matches this season. We respect his decision and we wish him all the best for his future,” Saleh said.

Saleh also said that the team was hopeful of Mashrafe’s comeback in the next edition of the BPL. “He is a legend of Bangladesh cricket and a great leader. We would love to have him back in our team next year. He has a lot of experience and knowledge that he can share with the young players,” he added.

In Mashrafe’s absence, vice-captain Mohammad Mithun has taken charge of the team, but Sylhet have struggled to find consistency and form in the tournament. They are currently at the bottom of the points table with only three wins from nine games. They need to win all their remaining three games to have a chance of qualifying for the playoffs.

Saleh, however, said that the team was not giving up on their hopes and would fight till the end. “We know it’s a tough situation, but we are not ready to throw in the towel. We have three more games to play and we will try to win them all. Our first goal is to qualify for the playoffs and then anything can happen in T20 cricket. We have to take it as a challenge and show our character,” he said.