Mehidy Hasan Miraz also made his captaincy debut on the day he achieved the milestone of 100 ODI matches.
Miraz took over as captain when regular captain Najmul Hossain Shanto was sidelined for the series-deciding third and final ODI against Afghanistan because of a groin injury.
Miraz became the 17th skipper to lead the team and the 13th cricketer from Bangladesh to reach the century mark in one-day international matches. Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu, the current head selector, was Bangladesh’s first international cricket captain.
Miraz led the Bangladesh in aged-level cricket prior to eventually assuming the leadership position in senior cricket. He captained Bangladesh’s Under-15, Under-17, and Under-19 teams. It’s interesting to note that Miraz coached Shanto, who is currently Bangladesh’s all-format captain, in all age levels of cricket.
It’s interesting to note that Miraz has been my captain ever since we played together at the Under-15 level. Shanto previously stated on the BCB “home of cricket” podcast, “I still think he is my captain and he knows it well.”
“When he was the captain in aged level cricket, I gave him suggestion if needed. Now I am the captain of national team and he gave me suggestion when needed. We have good camaraderie and understanding,” Shanto added.
However, Miraz was given the captaincy just when Bangladesh needed to win the match to secure the series. And by winning the crucial toss, he got off to a good start. According to Sharjah history, the team that bats first wins the game most of the time.
