Amidst a flurry of speculations surrounding Najmul Hossain Shanto and his unwillingness to lead, it has been confirmed that the 26-year-old Najmul Hossain Shanto will lead the ODI side in their upcoming series against Afghanistan, scheduled to commence in the United Arab Emirates from November 6.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board’s president, Faruque Ahmed, had a chat with Najmul Hossain Shanto to convince him to continue as the captain. However, it is understood that the other two formats will see a change, with the Test squad set to be led by Mehidy Hasan Miraz and the T20I squad to be taken over by Taskin Ahmed or Towhid Hridoy, as per a Cricbuzz report.
Najmul Hossain Shanto confirmed to lead Bangladesh in BAN vs AFG 2024 ODI series
The BCB had named Najmul Hossain Shanto as the Bangladesh captain for the three ODIs against Afghanistan in Sharjah next week. The announcement follows the discussion between Najmul Hossain Shanto and BCB president Faruque Ahmed on Thursday evening after the Chattogram Test, as Shanto had informed the board of his reluctance to continue as Bangladesh’s all-format captain. BCB however hasn’t announced the squads for the West Indies tour later in November where Bangladesh will play two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is.
Faruque told the media on Thursday that Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who was named Shanto’s deputy for the Afghanistan series, and Taskin Ahmed are “front-runners” in the BCB’s captaincy discussion.
All three are in the Bangladesh ODI squad. Nahid Rana, the 22-year-old tearaway quick, is only uncapped player in the side. Rana has played five Tests so far, impressing with his pace and bounce. He has taken 26 wickets at 16.46 in ten List-A matches.
Bangladesh ODI Squad vs Afghanistan
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced the squad for the three-game ODI series against Afghanistan, beginning on November 6. Najmul Hossain Shanto will continue as the captain for the 50-over games despite recently expressing his wish to step down.
Following the crushing 2-0 Test series defeat to South Africa on home soil, the 26-year-old remained tight-lipped regarding captaincy. However, BCB President Faruque Ahmed has reportedly convinced him to stay on as captain for the 50-over leg despite his earlier reluctance. Mehidy Hasan Miraz will likely captain the Test side, while Taskin Ahmed or Towhid Hridoy will lead Bangladesh in T20Is.
Pacer Nahid Rana, who has only played Tests, has been included, while Litton Das misses out as he recovers from his illness. Tanzim Ahmed also did not make the cut due to a shoulder injury.
Bangladesh ODI squad: Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hassan Miraz (Vice Captain), Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Nahid Rana.
Faruque Ahmed explains Shakib Al Hasan’s absence from Bangladesh’s squad
BCB President Faruque Ahmed, who had earlier mentioned that all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was unavailable for the 50-over games, suggested that he is not match-ready. He spoke to the reporters in Chattogram, as quoted by Cricbuzz:
“When he (Shakib) could not play the last Test (against South Africa), he was disappointed from his side. What I feel is that when he could not play he was disappointed and did not practice. He is a very professional player and felt that because he is not into training it will not be wise for him as well as for the country to play this series (against Afghanistan).”
Afghanistan are coming off a historic ODI series win over South Africa. All three BAN vs AFG ODIs will take place in Sharjah. The Bangladesh team, which will depart for Dubai in two groups on Saturday and Sunday, will play the three ODIs on November 6, 9 and 11 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.