‘Won’t be wise for me to speak, captaincy is board’s matter’ – Litton Das tight-lipped on ODI captaincy role

Litton Das. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Amidst the ongoing speculation surrounding the leadership of Bangladesh, vice-captain Litton Das has expressed his openness to take the the full-time role of ODI captain. This comes as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), seeks to navigate the situation following Tamim Iqbal’s decision to step down.

Reports suggest that senior all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan might not be chosen to lead the side during the upcoming Asia Cup. However, it is believed that Shakib is keen to observe how Litton Das, who was Tamim’s deputy, handles the pressures of a multi-team tournament. Another section from BCB claims that Shakib is happy to accept the captaincy role in all formats.

In a press release issued after an emergency meeting on August 8, the BCB announced their intention to unveil the new ODI skipper by or before August 12. This coincides with the deadline set by the Asian Cricket Council for squad announcements ahead of the Asia Cup, which is scheduled to be co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka from August 30 to September 17.

Bangladesh‘s head coach, Chandika Hathurusingha, who returned to Dhaka on August 9, engaged in discussions with the selection panel members at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on August 10. Subsequent to this, the selectors held a meeting with BCB president Nazmul Hasan to seek approval for the potential team lineup.

“Our president (BCB) is talking with Shakib to know his mind and if he agrees to lead the ODI squad it is one thing, otherwise we need to think about other options,” an official, familiar with the developments, told Cricbuzz.

Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan are potential successors of Tamim during the emergency meeting. Das, who recently captained Bangladesh in ODIs against India and Afghanistan, remained diplomatic during an event in Dhaka

“This (captaincy) is a matter of the Cricket Board. You will know about it (captaincy) in one or two days. Rather than me talking about it if you get it from the board it will be better, It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to speculate as I am an employee of the board, and I also get paid by them,” he said on being asked about his ODI captaincy aspirations.

“Just wait for a while because within one or two days you will have a clear picture. Because I am playing for a long time, if the team wants something good from me, I also try to give something good to the country. I will try to give my hundred percent (if selected as the captain) which I always do,” he addded.