Mash back to be with ailing wife

Bangladesh ODI captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza returned home from Sussex yesterday to be with his ailing wife Sumona Huq, who was hospitalised on Saturday.

The Tigers left for Sussex on April 26 in order to take part in a conditioning camp over there. However, three days on and Mashrafe has been compelled to return. According to Bangladesh Cricket Board officials, Mashrafe has a return flight booked on May 4 and he will return if everything returns to normal.

“He has returned due to a family emergency. His wife was admitted to a city hospital on Saturday and he decided to come visit her. We are in touch with Mashrafe and his family and the board is supporting them in every way possible.

“The fact that he has had to return to Dhaka goes to show that this is a serious matter and we are giving it our utmost importance. If everything goes according to plan, he will return on May 4,” informed BCB director Jalal Yunus.

Sources say that while the situation is not life-threatening, it is serious and that Huq is still under observation. Mashrafe is likely to stay in Dhaka until and unless his wife completely recovers. If the recovery does take time then he could miss his scheduled return on May 4.