BCB likely to announce ODI captain from emergency meeting tomorrow

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is likely to announce the captain for the ODI format when it will hold a board of directors meeting tomorrow at its headquarters at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

The post has been vacant since Tamim Iqbal stepped down due to his injury concern.

Shakib Al Hasan, the Test and T20 captain of the side is hot favourite to replace Tamim, with BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon on Saturday saying that appointing the ace all-rounder is the easiest choice.

Liton Das who was the deputy of Tamim Iqbal and led the side a historical 2-1 win against India last year was also in consideration while the name of Mehidy Hasan Miraz emerged as the captain at last, who would lead the side in the upcoming World Cup.

The BCB basically wants to appoint a captain for the long term.

Shakib, earlier, led the ODI team twice--from 2009 till 2011-- winning 22 matches out of 47 and in specific games in 2015 and 2017. His overall record of 23 wins as ODI captain is right behind Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (50) and Habibul Bashar Sumon (29) for the most games won as Bangladesh captain.

Veteran Mushfiqur Rahim is another from the current crops who led the side in 11 wins in 37 games but it is understood, he is unwilling to take up the role again.

As it stands, Liton should be the automatic choice for taking the captaincy role but since the board wants a long-term solution, his prospect looks bleak.

"If it's just a matter of one series, we could have given the role to the vice-captain but we want a long-term solution and therefore we need to have a long discussion," BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon said on a day when Tamim decided to give up the captaincy.

Tamim in fact retired from cricket all of a sudden in the last month but reversed his decision after 28 hours following a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He was then given a six-week rest and in this period, he consulted a physician in London, who gave him an injection to recuperate from the recurring back injury. As it didn't guarantee a full recovery, Tamim said it is better to step down as captain. He, however, was also ruled out of the Asia Cup.

Tamim is expected to return to the side during Bangladesh's three-match ODI series against New Zealand in September.

Even though Shakib is the obvious choice, the BCB president was in a dilemma as he was not sure if the 36-year-old allrounder will play for two years more.

"Shakib is the easiest choice but we don't know if he will play for two years more. We've to talk with him in this regard," Papon said.

Shakib has also led the side in seven ODI World Cup matches, winning three and losing four. He is also Bangladesh's best performer in cricket's biggest extravaganza. His 606 runs and 11 wickets in the 2019 World Cup was
itself a unique record that he himself only held.

Meanwhile, it is also highly likely that the BCB could announce a team for the Asia Cup and World Cup if they can decide on a captain. When BCB would hold the meeting, head coach Chandika Hathurusingha will arrive in the country to
supervise the team.