Published: Jun 02, 2022, 06:29 PM (IST)
Edited: Jun 02, 2022, 06:29 PM (IST)
Dhaka: Star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has been appointed as the new Test captain of the Bangladesh cricket team. Mominul Haque took the decision to step down from his role recently to fully concentrate on his batting prowess. Mominul led the team to three victories, two draws and 12 defeats in 17 matches during his time. He also captained the team during the historic victory over New Zealand.
Following Mominul’s decision, the Bangladesh Cricket Board re-appointed Shakib as the captain and wicket-keeper batsman Liton Das as his deputy. Incidentally, Mominul was named captain in 2019 following an ICC ban on Shakib, imposed for failing to report corrupt charges.
Shakib already has the experience of captaining the Bangladesh cricket team in Test matches. He had two stints as the captain of the side before the ban. The all-rounder was first appointed as the Test skipper of the Bangladesh cricket team in 2009 when Mashrafe Mortaza got injured in West Indies. He then took the reigns in 2017 when he replaced Mushfiqur Rahim.
“I just told them that I am unable to contribute to the side as a captain and failed to motivate the team. So I feel it is better if someone new is given the responsibility. I told them (what was going through my mind) and now it is up to them to decide. I feel it is not right for me to do captaincy at the moment, because what I feel is that if I can concentrate on my batting, it will be good for me as well as for the team,” Mominul had said after meeting with BCB chief Nazmul Hasan.
He added, “It’s not because of out of any fear or anything like that. Look, when you play well, even if the team does not perform, you can still motivate. I am not doing well and the team is not performing at this point, captaining the side is very difficult.”
Shakib has played 61 Test matches in his career so far. He has scored 4113 runs and taken 224 wickets. The all-rounder will look to take Bangladesh cricket to new heights during his third stint as the captain.
