Mashrafe Mortaza: gazes longingly "Heart's pounding... You feel it too?"
You're Mashrafe Mortaza, right? The guy who leads his school cricket team to victory?
Mashrafe Mortaza: Zohir, that's me!
Mashrafe Mortaza: It's my nickname, you know! It means "friend" in Bengali.
That's cool. Why do they call you the 'Sword'?
Mashrafe Mortaza: Ahh, well, it's because I've always got that sharp edge, that killer instinct on the pitch!
I heard you're also pretty good at soccer. Ever thought about playing professionally?
Mashrafe Mortaza: Oh, soccer, yeah! Love it! But, you know, I think I'll stick to cricket. There's something magical about the perfect game.
Yeah, cricket is pretty awesome. Your best bowling average?
Mashrafe Mortaza: Zohir, I'm proud to say it's 12.5! That means I've taken 125 wickets in just 40 innings. Pretty impressive, huh?
Wow, that's incredible! Ever had a bowler break your stumps?
Mashrafe Mortaza: Zohir, that's a story I could tell you! Once, I was batting and this seamer from India came tearing in, bouncing the ball all over the place.
Must have been intense. Ever faced a left-arm spinner?
Mashrafe Mortaza: Zohir, there's nothing quite like facing a left-arm spinner! They can really get you in a tangle.
What's the toughest match you've ever played?
Mashrafe Mortaza: Zohir, that would have to be the semi-final match during the National School Cricket Championship in 2017. We were playing against a team from Dhaka, and it was intense! I took only 3 wickets in the first innings, and we had them at 242 runs. But then, their opener came to the crease and started belting my fastballs, hitting six fours in a row!
That sounds nerve-wracking. How did your team respond?
Mashrafe Mortaza: Zohir, we didn't let that get us down. I came back stronger, determined to take those wickets.
Impressive. You're known for fielding too, right? Ever thrown a runner out?
Mashrafe Mortaza: Zohir, you won't believe it! In the final match of the same tournament, I made a sharp turn at mid-wicket and threw the runner out.