The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has decided to have separate captains for red-ball and white-ball cricket, appointing Litton Das as the new ODI captain for Bangladesh. Litton will now captain Bangladesh in both ODIs and T20Is and Najmul Hossain Shanto will remain Test captain.
The decision was confirmed by the BCB president Tamim Iqbal after a meeting with the board of directors at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. Towhid Hridoy has been appointed as white-ball vice-captain and Mehidy Hasan Miraz will continue to serve as Test vice-captain.
BCB opts for two-captain system
The board feels that it is appropriate at this juncture to have separate captains for red-ball and white-ball cricket, Tamim said. The move will allow Mehidy Hasan to focus more on his role as a key all-rounder, rather than that of an ODI captain.
“We believe that two captains are more appropriate, one for white-ball cricket and one for red-ball cricket,” Tamim said. The board would like Mehidy to get to his optimum level as a player, especially with the ball,” he added.
Mehidy’s ODI captaincy comes to an end
Mehidy lead 20 ODIs for Bangladesh, winning 10 of them. He started his career on a rough note, but the team then had a great run of form, beating the West Indies, Pakistan, New Zealand and Australia in four home series in a row.
The BCB thinks his value as an all-rounder is greater than his success as a captain under Mehidy, but he has proved himself to be a good captain. The board wants Mehidy to concentrate on his individual performances and get him to his best rhythm, Tamim said.
Litton returns to ODI leadership
Litton Das has previous experience as Bangladesh’s ODI captain. He has been the captain in seven matches and guided the team to a memorable 2022 victory against India 2-1, in the absence of regular captain Tamim Iqbal.
He also led the team in 2023 when key players were unavailable, leading Bangladesh against Afghanistan and New Zealand. He was a natural fit to assume the white-ball leadership role permanently because of his past experience.
BCB plans longer-term review
Tamim also said the board is keen on not changing leadership and team management too often. Rather, the players and coaching staff will be evaluated over six month intervals against pre-determined plans.
The BCB president added that the board is also keen on enhancing communication between the officials and players. The new leadership system will allow both captains more responsibility in planning and preparation of their teams.
New leadership era for Bangladesh
Bangladesh are now heading towards a two-captain format in both international and white-ball cricket with Litton taking over as the white-ball captain and Shanto remaining the Test captain. The board is hoping that the deal would enable players and coaches to train more specifically for each format.
Litton’s appointment is another significant chance for him to secure his name in the list of top names in Bangladesh. The new white-ball leadership is now in place with Towhid Hridoy as vice-captain, and they will now focus on consistency and Bangladesh’s international commitments.
