Shakib Al Hasan, for the third time in his career, has been appointed as the Test captain of the Bangladesh national team. The first time was an emergency appointment turned permanent, the second time was desperation, and this time, probably helplessness.
Was it a right call by BCB, or was it just another of their attempts to duct-tape a problem?
Shakib’s appointment comes after Mominul Haque opted to step down to focus on his batting. As the BCB President Nazmul Hassan mentioned, they had three options to choose from, and they picked Shakib. He only revealed another one of the options, Liton Das, chosen to be vice-captain.
Why Shakib? The answer is quite simple. Shakib, without even a smear of doubt, possesses the smartest cricketing mind in the whole country, as demonstrated many times in his illustrious career.
The tactical lucrativeness Shakib brings is an immediate attraction, alongside his acceptability among his peers and his influence over them. So, the question really should be, why not Shakib, especially when you are lacking a tactical mastermind in your team?
That was the question asked in 2020, after Shakib returned from his one-year ban. There were calls to return the armband to him, but BCB opted to keep Mominul, who was given the captaincy after a hasty meeting at the BCB office on October 29, 2019. Mominul never captained anywhere in domestic cricket till then, and that showed.
But we are in 2022. Shakib is 35 years old, and despite athletes staying fit longer these days, that is on the very wrong side of 30. Shakib probably has at least two years of good cricket in him, and for BCB, evidently a short-sighted institution, that is a long time.
Yet, there remain a lot of other questions. Shakib, during his last tenure, opted for an all-out spin attack, fielding four spinners to suffocate non-Asian sides.
But in the last couple of years, Bangladesh have backed their pacers at home and away, and that has brought results. Will Shakib, who is always looking for a win, focus on the process or the immediate results, especially when he will clearly not serve the team long-term?
Also, Shakib’s availability has been the burning question before every Bangladesh series nowadays. While BCB President said that Shakib assured him of being available for every series from now on (except for the Zimbabwe tour), the question remains.
Then again, you have to point out that Bangladesh need results. The Tigers finished the last World Test Championship cycle at the bottom, and this time, despite that historic win over New Zealand at Mount Maunganui, they are still languishing at the second bottom.
One thing sure about Shakib is that he will perform and lead from the front, alongside his mastery of on-field tactics.
Also, Bangladesh did not have that many options. Only a fool would risk Liton’s supreme flow of runs, and while another option is undisclosed, it might have been Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
But the all-rounder is a poor man-manager according to witnesses, and his issues with the Chattogram Challengers management during the 2022 BPL did not help his image grow either.
So, after all, Shakib is back with the blazer. And while the question of whether it’s the right call will continue, it definitely is a necessary one.
Because as the recent series showed, Bangladesh need a leader. And there probably isn’t someone better than him right now.
