5 reasons why Bangladesh should sack Mushfiqur Rahim as Test captain

#3 Fragile batting lineup needs his full attention

Relieving him of captaincy duties could enable Mushfiqur to concentrate solely on his batting

Although they showed admirable resolve during the 2-match series in New Zealand earlier this year, their batting in Test cricket stands on shaky ground at the moment. Often prone to calamitous collapses during inopportune moments, Bangladesh have time and again fell apart in overseas conditions.

Their batting lineup comprises of experienced campaigners such as Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan apart from Mushfiqur. Yet, the malaise does not seem to abate. As evidenced by their woeful display in the second Test against Australia at Chittagong, they have the weakness of losing wickets in a cluster even on home soil.

As captain, Mushfiqur has scored 2321 runs (comfortably the best in Bangladesh's Test history) at an average of 41.44 with 4 centuries and 12 fifties. But he has the potential to do even better at the highest level of the game. Armed with a reasonable technique against both pace and spin, the right-hander also has an extensive array of shots at his disposal. However, he has shown a tendency of retreating into his shell during recent times.

By relieving him of the burdensome captaincy duties, Bangladesh can help him channel his energy solely on delivering high-impact performances with the bat. Taking into account their batting frailties, the team desperately needs Mushfiqur to focus completely on his batting. Removing the captaincy armband from him can be a major step in that direction.