Mohammad Ashraful facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mohammad Ashraful

Personal information
Born	(1984-07-07) 7 July 1984 (age 41) Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm off break Right-arm leg break
Role	Middle-order batsman
International information
National side	Bangladesh (2001–2013)
Test debut (cap 17)	6 September 2001 v Sri Lanka
Last Test	25 April 2013 v Zimbabwe
ODI debut (cap 52)	11 April 2001 v Zimbabwe
Last ODI	8 May 2013 v Zimbabwe
ODI shirt no.	98
T20I debut (cap 14)	1 September 2007 v Kenya
Last T20I	31 March 2013 v Sri Lanka
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2000–2001	Dhaka Metropolis
2001–2011	Dhaka Division
2008–2023	Mohammedan Sporting Club
2009	Mumbai Indians
2011-2023	Dhaka Metropolis
2012–2013	Dhaka Gladiators
2012	Ruhuna Royals
2019	Chittagong Vikings
2020	Minister Group Rajshahi
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI T20I FC Matches 61 177 23 183 Runs scored 2,737 3,468 450 9,192 Batting average 24.02 22.24 19.56 28.63 100s/50s 6/8 3/20 0/2 21/42 Top score 190 109 65 263 Balls bowled 1,733 697 138 12,880 Wickets 21 18 8 214 Bowling average 60.52 36.72 26.25 34.98 5 wickets in innings 0 0 0 7 10 wickets in match 0 0 0 0 Best bowling 2/42 3/26 3/42 7/99 Catches/stumpings 25/– 86/– 4/– 87/–
Medal record Representing  Bangladesh Men's Cricket Asian Games Gold 2010 Guangzhou Team
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 20 March 2025

Mohammad Ashraful (Bengali: মোহাম্মদ আশরাফুল; born 7 July 1984) is a famous Bangladeshi cricket player. He has played for the Bangladesh national team.

From 2007 to 2009, Ashraful was the captain of his country's team. He led them in 13 Test matches and 38 One Day Internationals (ODIs). Bangladesh won eight of these matches. Ashraful holds the record for the fastest fifty runs in both Test and ODI cricket for any Bangladeshi player.

He also played for local teams in Bangladesh. He was part of the Dhaka Division cricket team in both one-day and first-class games. Sometimes, he even captained these teams.

In 2014, he faced a suspension from playing cricket. This ban was later shortened. After his suspension ended, Ashraful returned to play in domestic cricket matches.

Playing Cricket at Home and in T20 Leagues

Starting His Career: 2000–01

Mohammad Ashraful began his cricket journey on November 22, 2000. He played for the Dhaka Metropolis cricket team. In his first match, he scored 41 and 6 runs. He also took five wickets, which means he got five opposing batsmen out.

A few days later, he played his first List A match for Dhaka Metropolis. He scored 22 runs and took two wickets, helping his team win. In his second first-class match, Ashraful scored his first century, which is 100 runs. He made 101 runs against the Khulna team.

His best bowling performance was in January 2001. He took seven wickets for 99 runs against Chittagong Division. During the 2000–01 season, he played ten first-class matches. He scored 585 runs and took 39 wickets.

In November 2006, he set a new record for the highest score in Bangladeshi first-class cricket. He scored 263 runs against Chittagong Division. This record has since been broken by another player.

Playing in 2008–09

On February 6, 2009, Ashraful joined the player auction for the 2009 Indian Premier League. The Mumbai Indians team bought him. He played only one game and scored 2 runs.

Playing in 2011–12

Ashraful returned to domestic cricket in 2011. He scored a century for Dhaka Division in the first match of the National Cricket League. Dhaka won the one-day competition. Ashraful was the second-highest run-scorer with 331 runs. He also took 7 wickets and was named the best player of the tournament.

For the 2011–12 season, the National Cricket League added two new teams. Ashraful became the captain of one of the new teams, Dhaka Metropolis. Even though he scored a century, he was not chosen for the national team's ODI squad in December.

Playing in 2017–18

In the 2017–18 Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, Ashraful was the top run-scorer for Kala Bagan Krira Chakra. He scored 665 runs in 13 matches.

Bangladesh Premier League

Dhaka Gladiators

The Bangladesh Cricket Board started the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in 2012. It is a Twenty20 cricket tournament. Ashraful was chosen as an 'icon player' for the Dhaka Gladiators team.

Dhaka Gladiators won the tournament. Ashraful scored 258 runs in twelve matches. He was the second-highest run-scorer among Bangladeshi batsmen in the BPL.

In the 2013 Bangladesh Premier League, Ashraful scored 358 runs in 14 matches. He also scored a century (103 runs not out) against the Khulna Royal Bengals.

International Cricket Career

First Matches

Ashraful played his first ODI match on April 11, 2001, against Zimbabwe. He scored 9 runs, and Bangladesh lost the match. He also took his first international wicket in that game.

Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, where Ashraful made his Test debut on September 6, 2001. He became the youngest player to score a century in Test cricket there.

His first Test match was on September 6, 2001, against Sri Lanka. He scored 114 runs, becoming the youngest player ever to score a Test century. This broke a record held by Mushtaq Mohammad. He was named the best player of the match. He was also the second Bangladeshi player to score a century in his very first Test match.

Playing from 2003 to 2005

Ashraful did not perform well in his first World Cup, the 2003 Cricket World Cup. He scored 71 runs, and Bangladesh was eliminated early.

In February and March 2004, Bangladesh played against Zimbabwe. Ashraful scored 51 runs from 32 balls in one match. This helped Bangladesh win their first international game since 1999. He was named the best player of the match.

In December 2004, Ashraful played against India. He scored his second century, 158 runs not out. This was the highest individual Test score by a Bangladeshi player at that time.

In May and June 2005, Bangladesh toured England. They played against England and Australia. Bangladesh won only one ODI, but it was a big surprise. They beat Australia, which was called "the biggest upset in one-day international history." Ashraful scored 100 runs in that match and was named the best player.

Playing from 2006 to 2007

In 2006, he scored his third century, 136 runs, against Sri Lanka. Ashraful was chosen for the Asian team in the first 2005 Afro-Asian Cup. He was one of two Bangladeshi players in the team.

Ashraful batting during a cricket match.

In February and March 2006, he scored 136 runs in a Test match against Sri Lanka. He received the man of the match award.

In March and April 2007, the 2007 Cricket World Cup was held. Ashraful was part of Bangladesh's team. Bangladesh reached the second stage of the competition. Ashraful scored 87 runs against South Africa, helping Bangladesh win. This was the highest score by a Bangladeshi player in that World Cup. He was Bangladesh's top run-scorer in the tournament.

Being a Captain (2007–2009)

After the 2007 World Cup, Mohammad Ashraful became the captain of the Bangladesh team on June 2, 2007. He was 22 years old, making him one of the youngest international captains at the time.

During a tour of Sri Lanka in June 2007, Bangladesh lost all three Test matches. Ashraful scored the most runs for Bangladesh in the Test series. In one match, he scored 129 runs not out. Bangladesh also lost the ODI series.

In September 2007, Ashraful played in the 2007 ICC World Twenty20. He scored a very fast half-century against the West Indies. He made 50 runs from just 20 balls. At the time, this was the fastest half-century in Twenty20 International matches.

In June 2009, Ashraful was no longer the captain. This happened after a period of poor performance and Bangladesh's early exit from the 2009 ICC World Twenty20. He was replaced by Mashrafe Mortaza.

Ashraful later captained Bangladesh again at the 2010 Asian Games in November. Bangladesh won the final against Afghanistan. This secured the country's first gold medal at the Asian Games.

After Captaincy (2009–Present)

Mohammad Ashraful walking to bat at Lords in a Test match against England in 2010.

Ashraful was not chosen for the team when England toured Bangladesh in early 2010. He was called back for Bangladesh's tour of England a few months later. He struggled in the 2010 Asia Cup and was dropped again. However, he was recalled for the ODI matches in England due to other players' injuries.

After a period of not playing well, Ashraful was dropped from the ODI series against New Zealand in October 2010. Even though he was not in the team, he received one of the highest level contracts from the Bangladesh Cricket Board.

In October, the West Indies toured Bangladesh. Ashraful was dropped from the Test team after scoring only two runs.

He was included in Bangladesh's team for the 2011 Cricket World Cup. In three matches, Ashraful scored only 18 runs. He was then dropped from the team for the ODI series against Australia.

In and Out of the Team

In April, Ashraful captained the Bangladesh A team on a tour of South Africa. He scored a century in a one-day match. This performance earned him a spot back in the main team to play against Zimbabwe in August.

In the one-off Test match, Ashraful scored the most runs for his team, with a total of 112 runs. Bangladesh lost the match. Bangladesh also lost the following ODI series against Zimbabwe. Ashraful scored 23 runs in three matches.

He was kept in the Test team for the Pakistan series in 2012. However, he was dropped after the first Test match, where he scored only one run. When the Bangladesh Cricket Board announced its contracts for 2012, Ashraful's top-level contract was not renewed.

In October 2018, he was chosen to play for the Chittagong Vikings team in the 2018–19 Bangladesh Premier League.

International Centuries

Mohammad Ashraful has scored several centuries in international cricket. A century means scoring 100 runs or more in one innings.

Test Centuries by Mohammad Ashraful

No.	Runs	Against	Venue	H/A	Date	Result	Ref
1	114	Sri Lanka	Singhalese Sports Club, Colombo	Away	6 September 2001	Lost
2	158 not out	India	M. A. Aziz Stadium, Chittagong	Home	17 December 2004	Lost
3	136	Sri Lanka	Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong	Home	28 February 2006	Lost
4	129 not out	Sri Lanka	Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium, Colombo	Away	3 July 2007	Lost
5	101	Sri Lanka	Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka	Home	26 December 2008	Lost
6	190	Sri Lanka	Galle International Stadium, Galle	Away	8 March 2013	Drawn

One Day International Centuries by Mohammad Ashraful

No.	Runs	Against	Venue	H/A/N	Date	Result	Ref
1	100	Australia	Sophia Gardens, Cardiff	Neutral	18 June 2005	Won
2	109	United Arab Emirates	Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore	Neutral	24 June 2008	Won
3	103 not out	Zimbabwe	Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo	Away	9 August 2009	Won

Images for kids

• 

  Ashraful training in 2009

• 

  A graph showing Ashraful's Test match batting career up to March 2008.