Former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza and two other players test positive for COVID-19

Former Bangladesh cricket captain Mashrafe Mortaza and two other players including left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam and former opener Nafees Iqbal have tested positive for COVID-19.

Mashrafe Mortaza who stepped down as the one-day international captain in March but remains available for selection shared an update on his health on social media late on Saturday.

“Today my Covid-19 results came as positive. Everyone, please pray for my quick recovery,” Mashrafe wrote in a post on Facebook.

“The number of infected people [in Bangladesh] has now crossed 100,000. We all have to become more careful. Let’s all stay at home, and not get out unless it is necessary. I am abiding by the protocol at home”, he further added.

Mashrafe who is also a member of parliament had been active lately in helping people during the coronavirus pandemic in his hometown and constituency Narail West of the capital Dhaka.

His mother-in-law and another relative tested positive last week, according to Narail health official.

Nafees Iqbal, in an audio message emailed to reporters on Saturday, said that “Ten days ago I was feeling feverish. For two days my body temperature was high. I lost my appetite, felt very weak”.

“Then I gave a sample for the test and the result came that I am Covid-19 positive”, he added.

Nafees Iqbal who is the elder brother of Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal who played 11 Tests and 16 one-day internationals for his country and is currently a domestic cricket coach.

Meanwhile, Left-arm spinner Nazmul, who took part in virus aid work in his hometown of Narayanganj, said he received his results on Saturday.

“I don’t know how I got it. My parents also tested positive along with me,” the 28-year-old, who played one Test, five ODIs and 13 Twenty20 internationals for Bangladesh, told AFP on Sunday.