Following Tamim Iqbal’s decision to stand down as one-day international (ODI) captain due to injury concerns, the most pressing issue facing the Bangladesh cricket community right now is determining who will take Iqbal’s place.
After Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan said on Saturday that hiring Shakib is the “easiest choice,” it seems like Shakib Al Hasan is in pole position to take up the reins of the team for the One-Day International World Cup in India. The tournament will be held in India.
The Sri Lankan coach Chandika Hathurusingha is scheduled to return to the nation on August 8; however, a BCB official has said that the side that will compete in the Asia Cup may very possibly be selected and revealed before the Sri Lankan arrives. However, before the selectors announce the team roster, the team management will choose who will lead the team and serve as captain.
Prior to this, Shakib served as the captain of the ODI team from 2009 to 2011, during which time they won 22 of their 47 matches. Additionally, he would serve as captain of the team for some games in 2015 and 2017 respectively. Shakib is now third in the statistics for most games won as Bangladesh captain, behind only Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (50) and Habibul Bashar (29). His overall record of 23 victories places him just ahead of Habibul Bashar.
It would not be unexpected to see the all-rounder given the captaincy for the 50-over format as well, given that he already leads the team in Tests and Twenty20 Internationals. In the meanwhile, Liton Das, who has previously led Bangladesh to victory in five one-day international matches (ODIs), including a 2-1 series victory against India at home in the previous year, is also in the running for the position of captain.
Mushfiqur Rahim, an experienced player who is now part of the roster, has led the team to 11 victories in 37 contests in which he has served as captain. Even if he has a great deal of experience, he can still choose not to take on the task. Naturally, Liton was going to take over as captain, but the cricket board is looking for a solution that would last longer.
“We have not yet considered who will serve as captain. We need to take a break and then, when some time has passed, we may return to thinking about it. Nazmul told reporters on Saturday when he was attending a ceremony to honor Sheikh Kamal’s 74th birth anniversary. “As I have said before, if it was one series, we could have gone with the vice-captain but now we have to think about the long term,” Nazmul added. This was expressed while he was attending the event.
In spite of this, the president of the BCB was hesitant to offer Liton’s name for such a significant competition as the World Cup.
“Shakib is the clear option [to be captain], but can you guarantee that he will play for the next two years? Because of this, we need to inquire about his strategy and have a conversation with the board.
Regarding Shakib, Nazmul had remarked something to the effect of, “I think the easiest choice is Shakib and there is no problem with it.”
On Tuesday, the BCB president is going to meet with the contenders to talk about the captaincy, according to a person close to the situation who works for the BCB. Shakib would be the most obvious option for membership on the board, and the president of the BCB would inquire as to whether or not Shakib would be interested in taking over.
Shakib has also led the team in seven One-Day International matches in the World Cup, of which they have won three and lost four. Keeping in mind Shakib’s contribution to the 2019 World Cup, the only concern that remains moving ahead is whether or not he will be available. The Tigers have high hopes for their performance in the forthcoming competition, and the Bangladesh Cricket Board would want a captain who can play well and lead from the front.