Nothing definite on Mash’s captaincy and retirement

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Nazmul Hassan said that he never declared that the Zimbabwe ODIs were going to be Bangladesh ODI captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza's last series as skipper. The situation concerning Mashrafe's future as player and captain became even murkier following the BCB president's latest remarks.

The BCB president had on Wednesday said that they were going to name a new ODI captain following a board meeting a month or a month and a half later.

"If he wants to play, he can play. I am more concerned about captaincy. When we declare another captain and he can get into the side through his performance, then it's fine. But the captaincy will be decided in a matter of months," Hassan had told reporters at the BCB headquarters in Mirpur.

Asked about the matter again today during a press conference following Bangladesh's Test victory against Zimbabwe, Hassan said that the board meeting is going to take place within a month and denied that he said anything about the Zimbabwe series being Mashrafe's last.

"No, I never said that. TV or media said it, but I did not. I said that the next board meeting will happen within one month and there we will decide who will be the next captain. And after that, whether he will be captain or continue playing, we cannot say that before that meeting. So far, we need Mashrafe in this series," Nazmul said while talking to reporters today.

Asked if Mashrafe will be the side in the one off ODI in Pakistan, slated to be played on April 3, Nazmul said: "We are going to have the board meeting before that. Do you think Mashrafe will be the captain in the next board meeting? I have said what I had to say. We will declare our next captain in the next board meeting."