Mohammad Ashraful, the former captain of the Bangladesh national cricket team has stated that he is hoping for a comeback through the Afghanistan Premier League commencing on 5th October in the UAE. In 2014, a special anti-corruption tribunal organized by the Bangladesh cricket board banned Ashraful from all forms of cricket for eight years due to match fixing and spot fixing in a T20 tournament held in Bangladesh in 2013. However the sentence was brought down to a five year ban after an appeal from a one member panel, under the condition that he produces a certificate from the ICC for good conduct during the last two years by participating in the anti-corruption education training programmer. In 2016 the board further lifted the ban partially by granting him permission to play in domestic first class and A list cricket, while the ban on international and franchise based cricket prevailed.

“Over the last five years I never felt I wouldn’t be able to come back. I never lacked this confidence. I always felt I would come back.” he said. He also stated, “Of course it will be tough to get a chance in the Bangladesh team,” and ''If I can manage to get a team, it will be exciting for me as the platform will help me to answer a lot of questions that is raised regarding my fitness and form in the recent times,''. According to Ashraful, he believes that he can still perform well and that there is much room for him to join the Bangladesh cricket team.

Even though the chief selector Minhajul Abedin has told that there is no place in the Bangladesh national team for Ashraful at the moment, Ashraful remains persistent and has stated that he is not in a hurry to join the team and being 34 years of age he hopes to be a trendsetter for experienced players in the national team.