Who Will Lead Bangladesh in T20s? BCB President Hints at a Choice
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president, Faruq Ahmed, has hinted at who might take over as the T20I captain, replacing Najmul Hossain Shanto.
Shanto’s position as the ODI captain remains uncertain following Bangladesh’s disappointing Champions Trophy campaign, but a change in the T20 leadership is inevitable. The left-handed batter will step down, and now the question is—who will take over? BCB president Faruq Ahmed has provided a clue.
At the start of the year, Faruq had revealed that Shanto expressed his desire to step away from T20I captaincy. However, with no immediate T20 commitments for Bangladesh, the board didn’t rush to make a decision.
Now, as the time for a decision approaches, Faruq spoke to the media on Saturday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium during the inauguration of the Third Division Qualifying Cricket League. He hinted that the next T20 captain could be someone who has previously led the team.
“We will make a decision on this soon. You’ll find out shortly. A couple of players have already captained the T20 side before, and they are still part of the team. We will consider one of them for the role.”
Shanto’s leadership had been a subject of discussion since October last year, ahead of the Test series against South Africa. Reports suggested that he had informed the board of his willingness to step down as captain, though he ultimately continued to lead in that series and against Afghanistan.
A groin injury ruled him out of the West Indies tour at the end of the year, effectively ending his tenure as captain. However, during the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in January, Faruq confirmed that Shanto would remain the ODI captain until the Champions Trophy.
At the time, Faruq had also revealed that Shanto would no longer lead the T20I side. But with no immediate T20 matches, the board deferred the decision on his successor.
Bangladesh’s next T20 series isn’t until late May, when they travel to Pakistan for a three-match series following the conclusion of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Based on Faruq’s hints, Liton Kumar Das is a strong candidate to take over, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz is also in contention.
During the West Indies tour in December, Miraz captained the Test and ODI teams in Shanto’s absence, while Liton led the T20I side. After whitewashing the West Indies, Liton had expressed his willingness to take on the captaincy on a full-time basis if given the opportunity.
Over the last two years, aside from Shanto, Liton is the only player to have captained Bangladesh in T20 internationals. Now, the board just needs to make it official.
