Shakib Al Hasan to lead Bangaldesh in Asia Cup and World Cup 2023

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Shakib al Hasan has been appointed the new ODI captain of Bangaldesh and he would be leading the team in the Asia Cup and World Cup 2023. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan confirmed the develoment on Friday.

"We have appointed Shakib as the captain for Asia Cup and World Cup. The World Cup and Asia Cup squad will be announced tomorrow. The selectors will pick a squad of 17 members," Nazmul told reporters at his house on Friday.

The move comes following Tamim Iqbal's resignation on August 3 after he was ruled out of the Asia Cup because of a back injury. Shakib, the all format captain of Bangladesh now, will captain the team in the Asia Cup, the following ODI series against New Zealand and then in the World Cup 2023 in India starting October 5. Notably, the 36-year-old started his third stints as Test captain and T20I captain last year.

"We will speak more to him when he returns to Bangladesh [from Lanka Premier League]. We have to know his long-term plan. I spoke to him on the phone yesterday. But it is better if we talk to him in person since he is busy with a franchise league currently. We will also talk about which format he will keep leading, whether it is all three formats or one or two of them," the BCB president added.

"There was never any confusion. I told you before. He is the obvious choice. Who else can lead? But we had to talk to him before appointing him. Nobody should think anything else. Shakib is the captain. He was always the main choice."

Nazmul Hassan further said that Bangaldesh's Asia Cup 2023 squad will be the same as the World Cup 2023 squad. "They have just one spot open. We still don't know about Tamim Iqbal who is recovering from a back injury. We might trial one or two openers in the Asia Cup," he said.