Mehidy Hasan Breaks Silence on Taking Over ODI Captaincy from Najmul Hossain Shanto

Najmul Hossain Shanto has been replaced as Bangladesh's new ODI captain for a 12-month term by Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Only a few weeks before the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka ODI series begins, the abrupt decision was made. According to sources, Shanto has expressed a desire to resign from his position as Test captain to prevent power segregation.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) declared in an official statement that Mehidy Hasan Miraz has been appointed ODI captain "for the next 12 months." The all-rounder has been a reliable player for the squad and is the best person to lead it in ODIs, according to Nazmul Abedeen, chairman of the BCB's Cricket Operations Committee.

Speaking of the choice, Miraz asserted that she had no idea what was discussed. Nonetheless, he believed that his captaincy would have been accepted by all members of the board meeting. Mehidy Hasan Miraz asserted that he had learned of the leadership shift a day ago. Shanto's tenure as captain, in Mehidy's opinion, lasted just till the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Mehidy Hasan gets candid:

Cricbuzz reports Mehidy saying, "I don't know how (the captaincy) was decided. It is usually done in a board meeting. Nobody can decide on their own. I think all of us are usually prepared mentally for any situation we may have to face. He was the ODI captain for a term, which had ended (in the Champions Trophy). They probably had conversations about the Test team. I am not sure if they spoke about the ODI team. Fahim sir (Nazmul Abedin - BCB cricket operation chairman) called me yesterday and said that they are going to give me the responsibility, and he said that they don't have much time. They have to make a decision quickly. He said that they are planning accordingly" 

At the moment, Mehidy Hasan Miraz is the ODI captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto is the Test captain, and Litton Das is the T20I captain for Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, the idea of having three separate leaders is not new; in the past, Mahmudullah was the T20I captain, Mominul Haque was the Test captain, and Tamim Iqbal was the ODI captain.

Mehidy, meanwhile, has some experience leading the team as captain after leading them in multiple games when Najmul Hossain Shanto was not there. In 2024, he led Team Bangladesh in four One-Day Internationals (ODIs) against Afghanistan and the West Indies, all of which ended in defeat. In the series against the West Indies, which finished in a tie, he also captained the Test team. The series against Sri Lanka, which begins on July 2, will mark the beginning of his maiden spell as a full-time ODI captain.

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