‘Ye toh hona hi tha’ – Fans react as star allrounder Shakib Al Hasan gets reappointed as ODI captain of Bangladesh
Shakib Al Hasan led Bangladesh against Afghanistan in T20I series
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Aug 11, 2023 4:25 pm
Shakib Al Hasan (Source: Twitter)
The captaincy of the Bangladesh cricket team in ODIs has been nothing short of a mystery in recent times. It is one of the most difficult subjects to understand. In just the last three months, there have been three different captain announcements from the Bangladesh cricket board. There is simply no consistency in the thought process and no vision for the future among the board.
In May 2023, Bangladesh played an ODI series against Ireland. The series went well for Bangladesh, as they won it 2-0. One match had no result due to rain. Tamim Iqbal was the captain of the series for all three matches in the series. In Mid-June, Afghanistan toured Bangladesh for an all-format tour. The home side won the Test and T20I series.
Afghanistan managed to win the ODI series against Bangladesh, which is a rare achievement for any team in Bangladesh since 2015. Tamim Iqbal, who was the captain of the series in ODIs, not just stepped down as the captain, but also announced his retirement from ODIs after Bangladesh lost the first ODI of the series! It was a big blow to the team and the confidence of the players.
New captain appointed for Bangladesh in ODIs
Iqbal was approached by the Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina a day after his retirement. Post the meeting, the Southpaw took back his retirement. But Litton Das was announced the captain of the team for the remainder of the series against Afghanistan. The home side lost the second ODI and won the third ODI in the series. In the T20I series against Afghanistan, Shakib led Bangladesh.
With the two important ODI series the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup nearing, the Bangladesh cricket board has changed its captain again! The 36-year-old Shakib Al Hasan is named as the captain of Bangladesh for the upcoming big tournaments. In 90 days, Shakib is the third captain to be appointed for Bangladesh in ODIs. While having an experienced campaigner as a captain can be good, giving a longer run for youngsters like Litton Das is crucial.
It seems like Bangladesh has entrusted Shakib Al Hasan with a captaincy role for some crucial tournaments. His leadership will definitely be under the spotlight during the Asia Cup and the 2023 World Cup. Let's see how he guides the team in these high-stakes events.
