There comes a freshly brewed update from the house of Bangladesh, as Shakib-Al-Hasan has been appointed as the ODI Captain of the Bangladesh National team. He has been appointed as the skipper of the Bangladesh squad for the Asia Cup & World Cup 2023. The decision of handing over the reins of the Bangladesh Cricket team was taken after Tamim Iqbal’s resignation on August 3 as he was ruled out of the Asia Cup 2023 due to a back injury.
Shakib-Al-Hasan will handle the team over a period when Bangladesh is gearing up for Asia Cup 2023 followed by ODI series against New Zealand in September, before they travel to India for the ODI World Cup starting on October 5. The announcement was made by the head of BCB, Nazmul Hassan in a special media briefing at his residence in Dhaka.
He said,
“Shakib Al Hasan has taken up the role of captaincy for the Asia Cup, New Zealand series, and the World Cup,”
“We are planning to have a more detailed conversation with him once he is back in Bangladesh after his participation in the Lanka Premier League. Our priority is to understand his long-term vision. I had a phone conversation with him just yesterday. However, given his current commitments to a franchise league, it would be more effective to have a face-to-face discussion. During this interaction, we will also discuss the format he intends to lead – whether he will be at the helm for all three formats or perhaps one or two of them.
“There has never been any ambiguity about this. I’ve mentioned it previously. Shakib was the natural choice. Who else could take on the leadership role? Nevertheless, it was essential to engage with him before confirming his position. There should be no misconceptions. Shakib is unquestionably the captain. He has always been our primary consideration.”
Hassan also confirmed that the Asia Cup 2023 squad will be the same as World Cup squad. He said that just one spot of the opener is vacant & as Tamim is still recovering from his back injury, one or two other openers will be tried in the Asia Cup.
A Glimpse of Shakib-Al-Hasan Achievements in ODIs & World Cup
Shakib-Al-Hasan started his third stint as Test Captain & T20I Captain in 2022. He has led Bangladesh in 50 ODIs between 2009 & 2011 out of which Tigers won 23 fixtures. Later in 2015 & 2017, Shakib led Bangladesh in more than three ODIs as a stand-in Captain for Mashrafe. He has so far led Bangladesh in 50 ODIs, 19 Tests & 39 T20Is. In the World Cup arena, Shakib-Al-Hasan has led Bangladesh in the World Cup 2011 where they ended at the bottom of the points Table.
Overall, Shakib-Al-Hasan has played 4 ODI World Cups starting in 2007 & he will now feature in his fifth ODI World Cup. Notably, Shakib will play his fifth ODI World Cup when he will play in ODI World Cup 2023. He was also Bangladesh’s leading run-scorer in the World Cup 2019. Whenever the team needed a veteran service, Shakib has always stood up & displayed his power-pack performances.
Why did BCB decide to appoint Shakib-Al-Hasan as Bangladesh’s captain?
The Change in leadership came after Tamim quit as Bangladesh’s ODI Captain due to his spate of injuries which has resulted in uncertainty over his future as Bangladesh captain. He has been ruled out of Asia Cup 2023 but he is hopeful of attaining full recovery for the ODI series against New Zealand beginning on September 21 & the ODI World Cup 2023. For the unversed, Tamim’s resignation just came less than a month after he reversed his decision to retire from International Cricket.
Sportsermon wishes Shakib-Al-Hasan all success in his upcoming stint as Bangladesh ODI Captain
Also read, NOS vs OVI Live Score, The Hundred Men 2023 Match 15
