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BCB ponders choosing Shakib or Mahmudullah as T20 captain


Bangladeshpost
Published : 05 Aug 2022 09:35 PM

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has considered four players including Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah Riyad to appoint as the T20 captain before the Asia Cup, which starts at the last week of this month, said its president Nazmul Hassan Papon.

Nurul Hasan Sohan, who led the side in the Zimbabwe T20 series, and Liton Das are the other two names who are also in consideration of the board’s policy makers. 

“Shakib’s name is in the list to be T20 captain. Mahmudullah’s name is also in the list. Liton is considered while many one also like Sohan as the captain. Their names are put in the short list. We'll announce later who will be the captain,” Nazmul Hassan Papon said after the board’s sixth executive meeting.

But he remained tightlipped to explain as to why Mahmudullah’s name has come up as captain when he played the last T20 of Bangladesh against Zimbabwe as a normal player.

The board has also finalized the Asia Cup team but they could not announce it because the captain was not elected yet. 

“The team for the Asia Cup is finalized but I think we should first talk to the captain and to the coach. Then it would be good to announce the team,” the BCB boss said.

“You will get to know about the Asia Cup team and captain within two days. Don’t know who will be appointed as captain. I told the policy makers to talk to all the potential names who are in the consideration to be captain. As far as I know, four players are put in the short list, among which one already said no about the captaincy.”

The Asia Cup which will be a T20 format this time to give the teams a better preparation for the T20 World Cup in Australia will begin on August 27 in the UAE. A total of 13 matches will be held in UAE's two city Sharjah and Dubai.

Bangladesh are drawn in Group B alongside Sri Lanka and Afghanistan while India and its archrivals Pakistan are drawn in Group A and a team, promoted from the qualifiers will join them in this group.

Then the top two teams will go to the final through the Super Four League system. Nazmul Hasan has said that he will accompany the team in the Asia Cup this time to keep the team charged up.

“This time I will go to the Asia Cup, I’ll be with the team. See what happens,” he said. Last time Bangladesh moved to the final of the Asia Cup but they lost to India eventually. 

Bangladesh have suffered their first ever bilateral T20 series to Zimbabwe of late.