Ashraful joins Mushfiq, Shakib to auction his favourite bats to raise fund

After Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan, former captain Mohammad Ashraful plans to auction his favourite cricket bats to raise funds for people affected by coronavirus in the country.

Ashraful, who suffered a five-year ban for match-fixing, is yet to return to the national team. He came forward to help the country’s distressed people.

He plans to auction off his favourite cricket memorabilia – bats used to hit century in his Test debut against Sri Lanka in 2001, his 158-run innings against India in 2004, the Australia-slaughter in Cardiff in 2005 and the 190-run innings at Galle Test in 2013.

Even the champagne gift that he received after beating Australia in Cardiff, still remains with Ashraful. That old champagne also become the other major auction item.

Ashraful says he has always wanted to auction off his memorabilia in case of any disaster or epidemic.

“Now’s the time. I’ve the bat, the stamp, the memorabilia of the inaugural Test century, the match against Australia in Cardiff, the 158-run innings against India, the 190-run innings against Sri Lanka.

“I still haven’t opened the champagne I got after winning against Australia in Australia. That too can be put up for auction.”

Earlier, national wicket-keeper batsman Mushfiqur Rahim also expressed interest in auctioning his first double century bat. Mushfiqur scored the first double century of his career in the same Test in which Ashraful made 190 runs.

Bangladeshi star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan also auctioned his bat for the same purposes.