Mushfiq to continue as Test captain
The Bangladesh Cricket Board on Tuesday dismissed wicketkeeper batsman Mushfiqur Rahim as the one-day international captain and replaced him with paceman Mashrafee bin Murtaza, introducing a split captaincy for the first time. Mushfiq, who was earlier appointed captain until World Cup 2015, will continue to lead the Test side, BCB president Nazmul Hassan announced after a meeting of board of directors in Dhaka.
‘Mushfiq [Rahim] is our best batsman at the moment. At the same time he also needs to lead the team and do the wicketkeeping job. This is a tremendous pressure for him,’ Nazmul told reporters.
‘So we relieved him of some of his duties. Mashrafee will now lead the ODI side and Mushfiq will continue as captain of the Test squad,’ said Nazmul.
Tamim Iqbal and Sakib al Hasan were appointed vice-captain for Test and ODI side respectively in a massive change in policy as BCB has now brought all senior players in some kind of leadership role.
The decision to appoint Sakib as ODI vice-captain was somewhat surprising given that the same BCB suspended him for six months last July for what it said his attitude problem.
BCB lifted his ban last month and said it is now pleased with his recent attitude and behaviour as the player changed himself a lot off the field.
‘We noticed some changes in his [Sakib] behaviour recently,’ said Nazmul to reporters ‘but we want to see him in the field and he will always be under our scrutiny in the coming days.’
Part of the reason for BCB to appoint Sakib as vice-captain is the injury-prone nature of Mashrafee.
This is another reason for BCB to give Mashrafee the charge only for the five ODIs against Zimbabwe, who will arrive in late October.
‘You all know Mashrafee is an injury-prone player, so we cannot set a long-term plan with him. If he stays fit, we will think about giving him captaincy for the World Cup 2015,’ said Nazmul.
Mashrafee has not played a Test match since 2009 when he injured himself leading Bangladesh for the first time in a Test match against West Indies.
He is, however, a regular in ODI and Twenty20 side barring some injury-related breaks.
He led Bangladesh in one Test and seven ODIs before injury forced him to quit the post in 2010.
A fit-again Mashrafee also led Bangladesh in two Twenty20 Internationals against Sri Lanka earlier this year.
Mashrafee, who is leading Bangladesh cricket team in the ongoing Asian Games in the absence of Mushfiq, expressed his gratitude to BCB for keeping faith in him again.
‘I am very glad that Bangladesh Cricket Board has entrusted their faith upon me and provided me with a second opportunity to lead the country,’ Mashrafee told New Age.
‘But at the moment all my priority lies on the Asian Games. I will think in detail after completing the event.’
‘I want blessings from the people of the country and believe that I can take the cricket of our country forward.’
Mushfiq was appointed captain in 2011 after a tour of Zimbabwe.
He led Bangladesh in 16 Tests, 37 ODIs and 23 Twenty20 Internationals.
-With New Age input
