Shakib Al Hasan reappointed as Bangladesh's Test captain

All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was reappointed as Bangladesh's Test captain on Thursday, following former skipper Mominul Haque's decision to step down.

This will be Shakib's third stint as Bangladesh's Test captain. He first led the side in 2009 following an injury to Mashrafe Mortaza. He continued as the leader till 2011 before the fallout with the then Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president.

He was then reappointed as the skipper in 2017, replacing Mushfiqur Rahim and continued in the position until 2019 before the ICC imposed a ban on him for failing to report a bookie's approach.

Shakib Al Hasan has led Bangladesh in 14 red-ball games to date, out of which he has only managed to win on three occasions. Even though the all-rounder has the best winning percentage (21.42) amongst all the Bangladesh Test captains, he also has the highest loss percentage (78.57) amongst the skippers who have won at least one match.

Bangladesh lost 11 Tests under Shakib, including whitewashes against India, England, West Indies, New Zealand and Zimbabwe.

---

"Captaining a side is tough when I am not scoring" - Mominul Haque on stepping down as Bangladesh's Test captain

Mominul Haque led Bangladesh to three wins

Mominul Haque, who succeeded Shakib in 2019, explained that his dismal batting form is the primary reason behind his decision to quit.

Addressing reporters after a meeting with the BCB chief, Mominul said:

"When you play well, even if the team doesn't win, you are still in a position to motivate them. I felt that captaining a side is tough when I am not scoring and [the] team is not winning. I think it is best to quit the captaincy."

The 30-year-old revealed that BCB's president wanted him to continue as the captain but the southpaw emphasized that he wants to focus on his batting.

He added:

"I feel I should focus on my batting. It wasn't a hard decision. A captain has to contribute otherwise it brings a lot of pressure. The board president told me to stay on but I don't want to be the captain."

Monimul Haque has led Bangladesh to three victories in 17 matches, including the famous victory against New Zealand in their own den.

Bangladesh's first assignment under Shakib Al Hasan will be against the West Indies. The two-match Test series between these sides will commence on June 16 in Antigua.