Shakib says Sohan deserves captaincy

Bangladesh ace allrounder Shakib Al Hasan saw merit in Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) decision to appoint Nurul Hasan Sohan as the captain in the T20 format, even though he was given it for only the upcoming Zimbabwe series.

Having seen Sohan's rise in cricket very closely, Shakib also believed that Sohan thoroughly deserved this captaincy.

Both Shakib and Sohan are playing in the Khulna divisional team in first-class cricket and the depth of the relationship between the two is also great.

Both of them also hailed from the Southern part of Bangladesh. So Shakib is well aware of his junior colleague's abilities.

As a player, Sohan still didn't quite cement his place in any format of cricket but he was made captain, which many believe could put pressure on him. But Shakib thought differently.

"I think the decision has its merit. Sohan thoroughly deserved this captaincy," Shakib said during an event.

"And BCB felt that he can give a lot to Bangladesh in the future, so they gave him the captaincy. I wish him all the best. The Zimbabwe series is challenging for him but I hope he can overcome that challenge."

Although Sohan has been made the captain for one series, for now, sources said Shakib will be the permanent captain in this format as Mahmudullah Riyad's captaincy couldn't motivate the team enough. Under Mahmudullah's leadership, Bangladesh won just one in the last 13 matches.

According to BCB insiders, Shakib could lead the Bangladesh T20 side in Asia Cup and T20 World Cup before Sohan takes the captaincy in full-time basis.

Shakib returned to Test captaincy of late but he got a torrid time in West Indies where Bangladesh lost both Test matches. But he said Bangladesh has still the chance to make a mark in a longer version format after overcoming the transition period.

"We will need time to improve in Test cricket. It takes time to get better. There is a possibility that the transition period will pass through. So it will take some time.

Currently, there is no Test match in Bangladesh. But at the end of this year, Bangladesh will play two Tests against India which is the last series for Bangladesh in the current FTP (Future Tour Programme) cycle.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has finalized the FTP for 2023 to 2027. In this four-year cycle, Bangladesh will play 34 Tests, 59 ODIs and 51 T20 matches. Needless to say, tough challenges are waiting for Shakib, Sohan and Tamim ahead.