The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has officially appointed Litton Das as the new ODI captain, a move intended to streamline leadership and maximize the performance of all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who was leading the side in the 50-over format. BCB President Tamim Iqbal confirmed the decision on Wednesday following a meeting with the board of directors at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. The board has opted to move toward a system featuring two captains—one for white-ball cricket and one for red-ball cricket—rather than maintaining three separate leaders across formats.
Under the new structure, Najmul Hossain Shanto will continue his role as the red-ball captain. Towhid Hridoy has been named the white-ball vice-captain, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz will remain the Test vice-captain. Tamim emphasized that the board believes this two-captain model is the most effective path forward, with the potential to transition to a single captain for all formats in the future.
Addressing the change, Tamim noted that the team requires Mehidy's contributions primarily as a player. While Mehidy achieved success as a captain, winning four of his last five series, the board observed a slight dip in his individual performance. Tamim expressed a desire to remove the pressure of captaincy from Mehidy so he can return to his peak form, particularly regarding his bowling. The board consulted with all stakeholders, including coaching staff and players, before finalizing the decision, and Tamim confirmed that the vice-captains were also informed and are in agreement with the new direction.
Mehidy's tenure as ODI captain saw him lead the team in 20 matches with 10 victories. After a difficult start that included five losses in his first six games and two series defeats, the team rebounded with four consecutive home series wins against the West Indies, Pakistan, New Zealand, and Australia, before a final series loss away to Zimbabwe. Litton Das brings prior experience to the role, having led the side in seven ODIs, including a 2-1 series victory over India in 2022 and matches against Afghanistan in 2023 after Tamim's sudden mid-series retirement, and again in two matches against New Zealand that year in the absence of Shakib Al Hasan.
Looking ahead, the BCB plans to evaluate the performance of national cricketers and the coaching staff on a six-month cycle. Tamim stated that the board aims to move away from a culture that only rewards winning and instead focus on long-term planning and bridging the gap between the board and the players. The board intends to review the progress of these plans every six months to ensure alignment across the organization.
“I've made it clearthat we value him more as a cricketer.
Besides, we felt having two captains across the three formats makes more sense than having three different captains.
