Bangladesh is now following a three-captain strategy across formats in cricket. After appointing Litton Das as the T20I captain, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has now selected Mehidy Hasan Miraz as the new captain for the One Day Internationals (ODIs).
Nazmul Hossain, who was already leading the team in Test cricket, has also been officially given a one-year extension in that role. A source within the BCB had first confirmed Miraz’s appointment as the new ODI captain to Prothom Alo. Later, the BCB officially announced the news through a press release.
In the press release, head of cricket operations at BCB Nazmul Abedeen stated, “Miraz’s consistent performances both in batting and bowling, his fighting spirit, his ability to inspire the team, and his energetic presence on and off the field made him the right choice for the board to lead the ODI team during this transitional phase. We believe he has the temperament and maturity to take Bangladesh forward in this format.”
Miraz will take charge as the ODI captain from the upcoming Sri Lanka tour. This will be Bangladesh's first ODI series since the last Champions Trophy. The three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka is scheduled for 2, 5, and 8 July.
Nazmul Hossain had announced towards the end of last year that he would step down from the role of T20 captain. Now, the BCB has decided to relieve him from ODI leadership duties as well.
Although Miraz has previously served as a stand-in captain on several occasions, this will be his first long-term appointment. The proposal to appoint different captains for each format was put forward during a BCB board meeting, and newly elected BCB president Aminul Islam approved it.
Miraz had led Bangladesh side at the Under-19 World Cup in 2016, but his first experience as national team captain came in November last year. He led the team in an ODI against Afghanistan in Sharjah after Nazmul Hossain was injured.
Miraz then captained the team in two Tests and three ODIs during the West Indies tour. Under Miraz’s leadership, Bangladesh won one Test against the West Indies but lost all three ODIs.