Nazmul Hossain Shanto was entrusted with the captaincy of the Bangladesh national team. While his tenure began promisingly, he has come under increasing pressure for his batting, particularly in the T20 format. Here, his strike rate has been a concern, and he hasn't been scoring consistently.
Former skipper Mohammad Ashraful has called for Shanto to be given a rest due to his poor form, suggesting Tanzid Hasan Tamim as a potential replacement. Ashraful believes Shakib Al Hasan can take over the captaincy duties in Shanto's absence.
In a recent interview, Ashraful stated, "Shanto could take a voluntary break for a couple of matches, allowing someone else an opportunity. I'm not advocating for drastic changes, but I believe Tanjid Tamim could be brought in. The management's hesitation to do so might lead to them playing with seven batsmen. Therefore, the only alteration that could occur is replacing Shanto with Tamim."
Ashraful also addressed the captaincy situation, saying, "With vice-captain Taskin injured, Shakib is a natural choice to lead. The coach and management could request Shakib to take on the captaincy. Ideally, only one change would be made for the second match. Shanto needs a break; he needs to observe the game from the outside, especially considering his struggles in this format."
Regarding Shanto's current form, Ashraful commented, "Playing him in all Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) matches was a significant error. Resting him for 5-6 matches would have given him a chance to rediscover his rhythm. While he scored a fifty against Sri Lanka, he couldn't replicate that against Zimbabwe. His batting confidence seems to be very low."
Ashraful further elaborated on Shanto's strike rate, saying, "We're all aware of his strike rate. In our nation, the issue lies in considering players for all formats based on performance in one. We tend to overlook everything else if they score runs.
However, with the World Cup already underway, there's no room for changes now. We must back our current captain. I hope Shanto will take some time off. I know he's a very hard worker. He needs more time at the crease.
His dismissal against spin after scoring only 3 runs from 11 balls was unnecessary, especially since the bowler was in good form.
We need to respect good bowlers and find other scoring options during the powerplay. Shanto is clearly struggling in this format.
Even though he scored two fifties in the 2022 World Cup, his strike rate hovered around 110. Back then, we lauded him for those fifties."
Ashraful concluded by offering some advice to the captain, saying, "Leading the Bangladesh team while out of form is incredibly challenging. You need to find a way to perform yourself."
