SPORTS REPORTER

Bangladesh selectors and team management are facing a dilemma over captaincy for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, scheduled to start on October 2 in Sharjah.

Regular skipper Litton Das sustained a left side strain midway through the ongoing Asia Cup, ruling him out of the Tigers’ last two games against India and Pakistan.

Bangladesh went on to lose both games, led by wicketkeeper-batter Jaker Ali, to exit the tournament, but neither Jaker’s performances as a batter nor as a captain looked convincing.

With Litton needing a few weeks to recover, wicketkeeper-batter Nurul Hasan Sohan and pacer Taskin Ahmed were the frontrunners to take up the captaincy role for the upcoming Afghanistan T20Is.

However, Sohan’s poor form and pacer Taskin’s workload management might force the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to go with Jaker as the skipper once again.

“If Nurul Hasan could play well, he would be a candidate for captaincy. I’m not sure whether Taskin can play back-to-back three matches,” a national team selector told The Daily Star.

“Litton has been undergoing various examinations. We are expected to get a proper update today [yesterday]. We can’t say anything concrete before learning from the medical team. But it’s not like he will get well by tomorrow,” he added.

BCB is currently busy with the upcoming board of directors’ election, with both current board president Aminul Islam Bulbul and cricket operations chairman Nazmul Abedeen Fahim running in the polls. Selector Abdul Razzak also stepped down from his role yesterday to contest the elections, as all these factors might result in a delay in the announcement of the squad for the Afghan series.

It was, however, learnt that the selectors would push for a replacement of Litton for the upcoming series, considering the hot and humid UAE conditions and the congested schedule.

The Tigers will play three T20Is inside four days against Afghanistan in Sharjah, with the second T20I scheduled a day after the opener and the final match on October 5.

The Tigers are also scheduled to play a three-match ODI series, scheduled on October 8, 11, and 14 in Abu Dhabi, following the T20I series.