‘We should rethink Shakib as captain’
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director and the chairman of the BCB's game development committee, Khaled Mahmud, said that the board should consider lack of interest in captaincy that Shakib Al Hasan expressed recently.
"Shakib is one of our best captains and there is no question over his cricket knowledge. But if Shakib himself doesn't want captaincy or is not enjoying the role then obviously there is a big question mark. I have heard what Shakib said, that it would be better for his performance if he doesn't lead the side. We also want his performances as he had single-handedly guided Bangladesh in the World Cup and if he survives, he can give us something," Mahmud told reporters yesterday.
The Tigers' Test and T20I captain expressed his unwillingness to lead the side for the second time after the World Cup after the 224-run defeat against Afghanistan in the one-off Test in Chattogram earlier this month. He had first revealed his thoughts on the matter in an interview with a Bengali daily.
"I think it would be ideal if I didn't have to lead the side. From a personal point of view, it will be good for my cricket. If I have to take leadership, then we must have discussions about a lot of issues," Shakib told reporters on September 9.
There are concerns about the next captain, with stalwarts Shakib, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riyad in the final stages of their careers.
"You can say we don't have a captain but I don't believe that. How do you know that we don't have a captain? You have to give someone the responsibility and wait and see whether he stays or not. There are eleven players in the national team. You ask them and try it out in three different formats. If Shakib doesn't want to do it considering the betterment of his performances, then the BCB should definitely think about it," he said.
Mahmud also questioned how the national team could be run if the seniors did not want to lead the side themselves or play under someone else.
The issue about the lack of a proper pipeline for future cricketers was raised and Mahmud responded: "I often hear we don't have players in the pipeline. Mosaddek [Hossain], Liton [Das], [Mehedi Hasan] Miraz are the next generation. There are also players at the Under-19 level like Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Patwary and others. If Shakib can lead the side at the age of 22, then why can't the others? It's because we don't want to see that and are stuck in one place," Mahmud added.
Comments