Shanto resigns from T20I captaincy, BCB to appoint new leader soon

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is all set to announce a new captain for the T20I squad after Najmul Hossain Shanto decided to step down from the leadership role earlier this year. 

This move has sparked the beginning of the process to find a suitable replacement.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the third division qualifying tournament in Mirpur on Saturday, March 8, BCB President Faruque Ahmed confirmed that the new captain would be named soon. 

He said, "We will make a decision. It will be known soon (who the captain will be). A few players who have already captained the T20I team are still part of the squad."

Among the names circulating for the role, Liton Das, who previously led the T20I side in three matches against the West Indies in 2023, is now the most discussed candidate. Shanto took over the captaincy from Shakib Al Hasan last year, but according to Faruque Ahmed’s comments, Liton Das seems to be leading the conversation for the captaincy.

In addition to the captaincy news, Faruque Ahmed also addressed Mushfiqur Rahim‍‍`s recent retirement from one-day international (ODI) cricket. 

He assured that the BCB plans to pay further tribute to Mushfiqur‍‍`s career. 

The BCB President praised Mushfiqur as the "navigator of Bangladesh cricket" and mentioned plans to honor him with a special reception.

Talking about the future plans for the national team, Faruque Ahmed emphasized the importance of a clear strategy. 

"We will try to do our best. I do not believe in making plans for the next World Cup right now," he said. 

"When I was a selector for the 2007 World Cup, Tamim, Shakib, and Mushfiq were in the limelight. The board will set a policy. We will tell them what we want. We will discuss with Cricket Operations and think about how we can move our cricket forward."

With these updates, it is clear that the BCB is actively working on shaping the future of the national team, with key leadership changes on the horizon.