Daily Times

DHAKA: Tamim Iqbal has been appointed Bangladesh’s ODI captain, it was announced after a Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) meeting on Sunday. He takes over from Mashrafe Mortaza, who finished his five-year stint with the recently concluded Zimbabwe series. BCB president Nazmul Hassan didn’t specify the length of Tamim’s tenure, but said he was looked at as Bangladesh’s “long-term” captain. “After the meeting today, the board has unanimously decided that Tamim Iqbal will be Bangladesh’s ODI captain,” Hassan said. “He will be the captain for the long term as we have moved away from our decision to name another captain next year. We are not giving any guarantees, but he is our long term captain.” Bangladesh’s next ODI assignment is a one-off game against Pakistan in Karachi on April 1. The other one-cricket they will play this year is a three-match series in Ireland in May.

There were two clear contenders for the position after Mortaza vacated the spot last Thursday. The BCB’s decision was between Mahmudullah and Tamim, although Mushfiqur Rahim was also talked about in some circles. Shakib Al Hasan’s return to international cricket is also looming in the background, with the allrounder expected to come back in October this year after serving his one-year ban. Bangladesh will be part of the ICC’s one-day league from next year, which means the four ODIs scheduled this year will give Tamim the only window he has to get a feel for the job as long-term captain before the league starts. Last week, Tamim became the first Bangladesh batsman to reach 7,000 ODI runs during the first ODI against Zimbabwe, and is regarded as one of the architects of Bangladesh’s rise in ODI cricket in the last five years. Tamim has so far led Bangladesh in just three ODIs out of the 207 he has played, when he replaced an injured Mortaza last July against Sri Lanka in an away series.