The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had to work very hard to convince Shakib Al Hasan to lead the team in today’s second one-dayer of the five-match series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
It was learnt that the world’s number one all-rounder, who almost single handedly guided his team to nine-run victory in the first one-dayer and successfully led the side in absence of Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, was reluctant to take on the responsibility.
According to sources, the Magura-lad requested the board to give the duty to any other player. Although he finally consented to lead the team in the second match he expressed his unwillingness to continue the duty till the last match of the series.
Although he has, in the past, told the officials that he is not interested in the job for the next couple of years, he apparently confessed to not being happy with the makeshift duty, rather admitting that he was in favour of a longer term settlement, or at least until the end of next year’s World Cup.
He was not even interested to carry on as a vice-captain.
“As a makeshift captain I will lead the team in the next match because the time for decisions is very short. In the meantime the board will definitely take a decision for the rest of the series and then I will give my opinion,” said Shakib diplomatically when asked about the captaincy issue.
BCB’s media committee chairman Jalal Yunus was also queried about the issue and he did not elaborate much: “The technical committee will meet tomorrow to discuss the captaincy issue. We have to take a decision also about the vice-captain.”
According to sources, there has been a strong sentiment that the time has come for the board after Mashrafe’s latest injury to take a firm decision about the captaincy.
Many believe that it’s risky for the team to give Mashrafe some additional burden when he is uncertain about his career.
