Dhaka (TDI): Bangladesh Cricket Board has recently announced the team’s new captain and vice-captain, for the upcoming T20I series in the UAE and Pakistan, along with rest of the squad.
The Board has appointed Litton Das as captain with off-spinner Mahedi Hasan as his deputy. Litton Das has replaced Najmul Hossain Shanto, who although remains part of the squad, has relinquished the title of T20I captain in January this year.
Towhid Hridoy, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam have also returned to the squad, all of whom were missing in the T20I series against West Indies in December last year.
Litton Das, who stepped in as stand-in captain during the series against West Indies, was one of the major driving forces behind Bangladesh’s impressive 3-0 clean sweep.
He also holds remarkable leadership experience across several formats and had the opportunity to be the captain of the Bangladesh team in seven ODIs, one Test, and four T20I matches.
Read More: UAE Welcomes Bangladesh for T20I Series Ahead of Pakistan Tour
He would remain captain until the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka, next year.
Najmul Abedin, Bangladesh cricket operation Chair, confirmed the news and said, “Litton Das will lead the side until the T20 World Cup next year.”
He further stated, “For Litton, experience has been an important factor. We don’t have many experienced players in the current setup. While there were discussions about his form, we believe he has the potential. If he can organize his game, he’ll be an asset to the team.”
While commenting on the future team Captain, Najmul Abedin said, “We will announce the ODI and Test captains soon. It’s necessary to fill up the vacuum. Test matches may come in two to two-and-a-half months’ time, and while we could announce the captain a week before that, leadership isn’t just about the match – it’s a full-time responsibility.”
Read More: Faisalabad Set to Host International Cricket After Two Decades
In the upcoming matches in UAE and Pakistan, the team would include Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain, Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana and Shoriful Islam.
Bangladesh cricket team is all set to confront UAE in the two T20I matches to be played in the iconic Sharjah Stadium on May 17 and May 19.
After that, the team will head to Pakistan to play a five match T20I series in the Iqbal Stadium Faisalabad, and Gaddafi Stadium Lahore, starting from May 25.
Javaria Khalid is a writer and researcher, who specializes in Pakistan's Foreign Policy Analysis, transatlantic geopolitics, and Pakistan’s relations with the European countries and the EU. She can be reached at javariakhalid011@outlook.com
