Shakib Al Hasan appointed Bangladesh's Test captain: Details here
Star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has been named the captain of Bangladesh in Test cricket. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has re-appointed Shakib after Mominul Haque decided to step down from the post. Meanwhile, batter Liton Das will be the vice-captain of the side. Mominul had replaced Shakib as Bangladesh's Test captain in 2019 after the latter was handed an ICC ban.
- Shakib is one of the most prolific all-rounders presently.
- He shone in the 2019 World Cup (registered 606 runs and 11 wickets).
- He served a one-year suspension from October 2019 to October 2020 thereafter.
- Moreover, Shakib has skipped several series since the 2017 South African tour due to workload management.
- Nevertheless, the BCB management has once again placed its trust in the legend.
In an international career that has spanned over a decade, Shakib has smashed 12,776 runs from 378 matches at an average of 34.62. The tally includes 14 centuries. Shakib also has 628 wickets to his name at an average of 28.21. He owns 23 five-wicket hauls. He has the distinction of registering a hundred and a five-for in a Test match.
In Match this year, Shakib expressed his desire for a break from international cricket. The 34-year-old said he is not in a "situation to play cricket" and is mentally and physically exhausted. Last year, Shakib indicated that he might retire from one of the formats.
"We have a series against Zimbabwe after the WI. He may not be there. He gave us a commitment he would play in all formats in future series, but it's difficult to say for how long Shakib will be leading the side," BCB President Nazmul Hasan said. "We had three names in our hand. If Shakib was not interested, we would have chosen others."
As stated, Shakib has replaced Mominul as the captain of Bangladesh's Test side. Under the latter, Bangladesh won three and lost 12 Tests. Meanwhile, two of them ended in a defeat. Mominul led Bangladesh to the historic win in New Zealand earlier this year. Bangladesh earned their maiden victory on the Kiwi soil after beating them in the first Test at Bay Oval.
Shakib has led Bangladesh across two stints. He first took over as the Test skipper in 2009 when the legendary Mashrafe Mortaza got injured in West Indies. Nearly eight years later, Shakib replaced Mushfiqur Rahim to bag the role again. Under the former, Bangladesh have won three Tests thus far. It will be interesting to see how he leads the side this time.
