Bangladesh’s new ODI captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz was scheduled to begin his press conference at 10 AM, but arrived around ten minutes late, dressed in the team’s travel kit. Just a day earlier, he was still one of the regular squad members. On Thursday evening, following an emergency Zoom meeting of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) directors, Najmul Hossain Shanto was removed from ODI captaincy and replaced by Miraz. Shanto will continue to lead only in Tests. With this move, Bangladesh once again has three captains for three formats—Miraz in ODIs, Shanto in Tests, and Liton Das in T20s—bringing back a structure last seen in 2022.
Interestingly, only a day earlier, Shanto appeared at a press conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur fully expecting to lead the team in both Tests and ODIs on the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. According to BCB sources, the directors did not engage in a detailed discussion with Shanto before relieving him of the ODI captaincy. Asked whether this abrupt leadership change might affect the dressing room atmosphere, Miraz struck a hopeful note, also revealing his long-term vision: the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Miraz and Shanto have grown through the ranks almost in parallel, from age-group cricket to the national team. After the leadership shift, the two had an open discussion. Drawing from that, Miraz believes the change won’t disrupt team harmony. “I spoke with Shanto. We’ve played together since our childhood, from U-15 days. We both feel that who’s captain doesn’t matter as much—it’s about playing as a team. I don’t think this will impact the dressing room. At the end of the day, we’re all playing for the country. These things never came between us. When he was captain, I supported him wholeheartedly. I hope he’ll do the same for me,” Miraz said. “He told me he never felt different because of being captain. I hope I feel the same way too. We’ll work together for the betterment of Bangladesh cricket.”
While Shanto travelled to Sri Lanka with the first batch of the national team on Thursday, Miraz received the offer of ODI captaincy from BCB director and Chairman of Cricket Operations, Nazmul Abedin Fahim, the same day. On receiving the responsibility, Miraz said: “Shanto was captain for a while. His tenure for the ODIs and T20s had a fixed period, which ended. He led the team for another one or two series afterward. I’m not sure how much discussion took place with him—perhaps about the Test team. As for me, Fahim Sir called me yesterday and said they were considering giving me this responsibility. He said they needed to make a quick decision because of upcoming matches, and we needed to finalise the ODI squad. That’s when he informed me.”
Miraz has initially been handed the ODI captaincy for one year. While he’s satisfied with this short-term role, he made it clear that his sights are firmly set on the 2027 World Cup. “A long-term role allows for better vision. The World Cup is coming. As a team, we’re currently struggling a bit, so maybe the board thought of setting the team up over the next year. After that, they might review and decide whether to continue with me or not. Now is the time to bring some stability to the ODI setup. Two senior players have retired. We’ll also identify who’s coming in. I believe within this one year, we can set all that in place,” he added.