Mortaza rated the next Flintoff

[mastana]

Mortaza rated the next Flintoff

MASHRAFE Mortaza sounds like a name cricket comedian Billy Birmingham would make up, yet he is a Bangladesh fast bowler with all-rounder capabilities who snatched $1.3 million out of IPL mega-franchise Kolkata Knight Riders for only a handful of games. He is also a player who former Australian and Knight Riders coach John Buchanan thinks has the potential of the England superstar Andrew Flintoff - if only he could realise it. "He's not quite the bowler that Andrew Flintoff is - but he's not far behind and he could be anything," Buchanan told The Daily Telegraph yesterday. "He's not the better batsman but he is a far better fieldsman. "Mashrafe has outstanding potential as a player, particularly as a Twenty20 player. All he lacks is the self-discipline." Mortaza (pictured) - a former captain of his nation - looms as a dangerman when Bangladesh play for survival against Australia at Kensington Oval tomorrow morning (3am AEST, live on Fox) if his raw ability shines through. Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar. End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar. He was controversially bought at the IPL auction early last year for $650,000 when Kolkata's Bollywood owner Shah Rukh Khan demanded he be snapped up, desperate to ensure Indian actress Preity Zinta's Kings XI Punjab didn't get him. Buchanan was merely standing in the wings. "It was Mortaza's good day," Buchanan said at the time. "Frankly, we paid more. Both franchises were keen to have him and the price shot up in the competition." Mortaza only played a few games and was released from his duties this year to play domestic Twenty20 in Bangladesh. Knee, back and shoulder injuries have hampered him, but Buchanan says attitude more than anything is shackling him. "If he was able to understand the demands of international cricket and cope with his hero-status, he could be an all-rounder of international standard."

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/cricket/mortaza-rated-the-next-flintoff/story-e6frey50-1225862272056

[youngindia]

Mortaza rated the next Flintoff http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/cricket/mortaza-rated-the-next-flintoff/story-e6frey50-1225862272056

this buchanan guy is proving himself to be an incompetent judge of talent. he can be a useful cricketer for bangaldesh.he is not in flintoff's league.