Mohammad Salahuddin, the assistant coach of Bangladesh, has indicated his trust in Litton Das’s competency as the T20I captain, supporting his leadership until the next T20 World Cup. This approval came from the discussions regarding Litton’s captaincy following Najmul Hossain Shanto stepping down from the post of captain.
During the last 12 months, Litton made a single half-century and a strike rate of 101.76 in the T20 format. He’s also not part of the ODI team and recently he has also been removed from the Test side so that he can get rest. However, he is ready to lead his team in the T20 series against UAE in Sharjah next week, a series consisting of two games.
Salahuddin admits that during last December, Litton proved his capabilities as a captain in a home series against West Indies, where Bangladesh won all the three matches. Litton only made 17 runs in that series, but he took some critical decisions wisely in crucial situations, which overall helped the team in getting victory.
“From the Litton I knew for a long time to the one I saw leading the team [in the West Indies], it is like night and day,” Salahuddin said in a press conference in Dhaka on Sunday. “If you see one of his recent interviews, you will notice the difference. I think if the boys are guided properly, they can adjust to the situation faster. We all have to support the captain. I think Litton has all the ingredients of a good captain. He can motivate the players. He is good with strategy. He is trying to take it forward. I think he will do well if allowed to work independently. You can’t just make a leader”
Salahuddin also noticed the difficulties and challenges which a captain can face while leading the Bangladesh’s cricket team. “We must realise that he is the captain of Bangladesh, which for us stands for the whole country. Leading Bangladesh is a very difficult job, although it may seem easy from the outside. Those who think that it is an easy thing are living in a fool’s paradise.”
After Shanto’s resignation, Litton is the only best option to lead his Bangladesh T20 cricket team. After the removal of Mehidy Hasan Miraz from the format, there is no choice for the captaincy in the team. Mehidy Hasan can be suggested as a vice-captain.
“We haven’t performed collectively,” Salahuddin further said. “We have to admit that we are not consistently performing at the highest level. It is a big challenge. We have rapid ups and downs in our performance. Our people are emotional, so they have a hard time accepting how their performance isn’t the same every game.”
The Bangladesh cricket team has a long plan for T20 cricket. If their schedule remains unchanged, then they have to play two T20Is against UAE, five matches against Pakistan, three games against Sri Lanka, then they have to play three more matches again against Pakistan in July and in August they will play three games against India.
