Shakib Al Hasan returns as Bangladesh's ODI captain for Asia Cup and World Cup

Shakib Al Hasan returns to the role of Bangladesh's ODI captain, in the team in the upcoming Asia Cup and World Cup tournaments. The reins were passed to Shakib following Tamim Iqbal's decision to step down from the captaincy on August 3 due to a back injury, which also ruled him out of the Asia Cup.

Shakib's leadership comes at a crucial juncture for Bangladesh, with the Asia Cup swiftly followed by a home ODI series against New Zealand in September, and their journey to India for the ODI World Cup, scheduled to commence on October 5. The announcement given by BCB president Nazmul Hassan in an unexpected press briefing at his Dhaka residence.

"Shakib Al Hasan is the captain for the Asia Cup, New Zealand series and World Cup," he said. The president also highlighted that the dialogue with Shakib will continue upon his return from the Lanka Premier League, where his long-term plans and preferred formats will be discussed in detail.

Hassan additionally disclosed that the Asia Cup squad would mirror the World Cup selection, with only one vacancy left open. Addressing potential changes, he mentioned, "We still don't know about Tamim Iqbal, who is recovering from a back injury. We might trial one or two openers in the Asia Cup."

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Shakib's appointment establishes him as the captain across all three formats for the time being, continuing his third stint as Test and T20I captain since last year.

Notably, this isn't Shakib's first time as the ODI skipper. He previously led Bangladesh in 49 ODIs between 2009 and 2011, capturing 22 wins during his tenure. Shakib stepped into the role as a stand-in for the often-injured Mashrafe Mortaza, a pattern that persisted through sporadic assignments in 2015 and 2017. His comprehensive leadership experience encompasses 19 Tests and 39 T20Is, with the last of his 52 ODIs as captain dating back to 2017.

The transition in leadership follows Tamim's resignation as Bangladesh's ODI captain, which was prompted by uncertainties around his fitness due to a back injury. As Tamim prepares to miss the Asia Cup commencing on August 30, he remains hopeful about his recovery ahead of the ODI series against New Zealand from September 21 and the subsequent ODI World Cup.

Tamim's decision to relinquish captaincy transpired shortly after his initial emotional announcement to retire from international cricket on July 6, which he reversed after a request from Bangladesh's prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on July 7.

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