DHAKA: In a significant leadership change, Litton Das has been named the new captain of Bangladesh’s One-day International (ODI) team, as announced by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Wednesday. This decision comes in the wake of Mehidy Hasan Miraz's departure from the captaincy following a disappointing ODI series against Zimbabwe earlier this month.
Mehidy’s exit as captain marks a pivotal moment for the team, particularly after they struggled in the recent series, which contributed to this leadership shift. Despite Najmul Hossain continuing his role as captain of the Test team, the BCB is looking to establish a clearer distinction between leadership roles in the white-ball and red-ball formats.
Litton Das, who already serves as the captain of the T20 team, will now take charge of the ODI squad as Bangladesh prepares for the upcoming ODI World Cup scheduled for next year in South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. BCB president Tamim Iqbal emphasized the rationale behind having separate captains for different formats. “I and the board believe we should have two captains — a white-ball and a red-ball captain,” he stated during a press conference in Mirpur.
In praising Mehidy’s contributions during his captaincy, Tamim acknowledged that the team had seen success in four of their last five series under his leadership. However, he noted that Mehidy’s recent struggles with batting form were a significant factor in the decision to make a change. “Mehidy as a cricketer for Bangladesh is more important than anything else… probably the level we’re accustomed to, we’re probably not seeing that right now, especially with his batting,” Tamim explained. He also mentioned that he had discussed the situation with Mehidy, who understands the reasoning behind the change.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz was appointed as the ODI captain in June of the previous year, taking over from Najmul Hossain, who had briefly captained the team across all formats. Under Mehidy’s leadership, Bangladesh managed to secure 10 victories out of 20 ODIs, although the team faced a challenging start, losing five of their first six matches and dropping two consecutive series. They later rebounded with four consecutive series wins at home against notable teams including the West Indies, Pakistan, New Zealand, and Australia, before their recent defeat to Zimbabwe.
Litton Das brings valuable experience to his new role, having previously captained Bangladesh in seven ODIs, which included a memorable series victory over India in 2022. His leadership will be crucial as the team looks to build momentum heading into the World Cup.
In addition to the captaincy changes, Tamim Iqbal also addressed the uncertain status of Bangladesh’s proposed home series against India, which is scheduled for September. He expressed optimism about the series taking place, stating, “I am very hopeful that they will come. Bangladesh is an extremely safe country.” Tamim noted that discussions with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have been positive and that clarity on the series is expected soon. Previously, Bangladesh had declined to play in India during this year’s T20 World Cup due to security concerns.
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