Mashrafe Mortaza to stand in Bangladesh election

Mortaza will be standing for the ruling party, the Bangladesh Awami League, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina endorsing the bowler's foray into politics

Bangladesh's ODI captain Mashrafe Mortaza will stand in the country's elections next month, the ruling party announced on Monday.

Mortaza will be standing for the Bangladesh Awami League, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina endorsing the bowler's foray into politics.

The 35-year-old enjoys a massive profile in his home country, and a spokesman for Hasina's Awami League said Mashrafe had been given the "green light" from the prime minister.

The election is set to take place on 30 December and Mortaza, who is affectionately known as the "Narail Express", will be contesting his hometown district Narail.

^{Mortaza will be running in his hometown of Narail}

Though he has not commented publicly on his decision to run, cricketing authorities have said there was nothing standing in the way of active players taking part in politics.

"To run in an election is his constitutional right. If he wants to exercise these rights, we have no issue," Bangladesh Cricket Board spokesman Jalal Yunus told AFP.

"We expect him to keep the balance between his playing career and politics."

Cricketers moving into politics is not new in South Asia, with current Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan just one example. Former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya also made the move into politics while he was still playing in 2010.