Doctors, farmers and labourers are real stars of nation, not cricketers: Philosopher-captain​ Mashrafe Mortaza

New Delhi: Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza might not have lifted the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 but he surely lifted the spirits of all the fans who were dejected by their respective teams' loss.

The cricketer said that he does not understand why people relate cricket to patriotism and according to him doctors, farmers and labourers are the real stars of a nation, not cricketers.

"I am a cricketer but can I save a life? A doctor can. But no-one claps for the best doctor in the country. Create myths around them. They will save more lives. They are the stars. The labourers are the stars, they build the country. What have we built using cricket? Can we make even a brick using cricket? Does paddy grow on the cricket field? Those who make courtyards using bricks, make things at factories, grow crops in the fields – they are the stars," Mortaza said as reported by Scroll.

The Tigers' skipper said that the cricketers get paid for playing and they are just performing artists.

"What do we do? If I say it very bluntly – we take money, we perform. Like a singer or an actor, we do performing art. Nothing more. The Muktijoddhad [1971 Liberation warriors] didn’t face bullets to get money on winning. Who is being compared to whom? If there are any heroes in cricket, they are Rakibul Hasans or martyrs like [Abdul Halim] Jewel… Rakibul Bhai had dared to enter the cricket field with ‘Joy Bangla’ inscribed on his bat [before the 1971 Liberation]. That’s big." He said. "Even bigger was his going to the front with his father’s gun. Shohid (martyr) Jewel left cricket and joined the crack platoon [a 1971 Liberation war guerrilla formation]. That’s bravery. Dealing with fast-bowling has romanticism and duty, not bravery."

"I say, those who cry 'patriotism, patriotism' around cricket, if all of them for one day did not drop banana skin on the streets or did not spit on the streets or obeyed traffic rules, the country would have changed. This huge energy was not wasted after cricket and was used to do one’s work honestly even for a day, that would be showing patriotism. I don’t understand the definition of patriotism of these people," added Mortaza.

Indian politician Shashi Tharoor hailed Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza's perspective on cricket in a tweet, calling him a 'philosopher-captain'.

"A brilliantly sane perspective on cricket from Bangladesh's philosopher-captain Mashrafe @IamMortaza. Applaud the real heroes, enjoy the game," he tweeted on Sunday.

A brilliantly sane perspective on cricket from Bangladesh's philosopher-captain Mashrafe @IamMortaza. Applaud the real heroes,enjoy the game pic.twitter.com/jimiuWhbHA — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 17, 2017

Bangladesh were knocked out of the Champions Trophy after they lost to India in semis.