Bangla assistant coach says Litton has captaincy abilities indicating that he has the backing of the team management.
Bangla assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin says Litton Das has shown enough potential to hold on to the role of Bangladesh’s T20I captain till next year’s T20 World Cup.
In the past 12 months, Litton has only scored one half-century and has a strike rate of 101.76. He was recently rested from the Test team and lost his spot in the ODI squad. He will, however, be leading Bangladesh in the two-match Twenty20 International series against the United Arab Emirates in Sharjah next week.
When Bangladesh defeated the West Indies 3-0 in their own stadium last December, Salahuddin believes Litton demonstrated sufficient leadership abilities. Despite only scoring 17 runs, Litton made some bold choices under duress that allowed Bangladesh to dominate the host team.
“From the Litton I knew for a long time to the one I saw leading the team [in the West Indies], it is like night and day,” Salahuddin said in a press conference in Dhaka on Sunday. “If you see one of his recent interviews, you will notice the difference. I think if the boys are guided properly, they can adjust to the situation faster. We all have to support the captain. I think Litton has all the ingredients of a good captain. He can motivate the players. He is good with strategy. He is trying to take it forward. I think he will do well if allowed to work independently. You can’t just make a leader.”
Salahuddin also emphasised the challenges that come with Bangladesh’s captaincy. “We must realise that he is the captain of Bangladesh, which for us stands for the whole country. Leading Bangladesh is a very difficult job, although it may seem easy from the outside. Those who think that it is an easy thing are living in a fool’s paradise.”
Litton is most likely the lone option for captaincy in Bangladesh’s current T20I team following Shanto’s resignation. Since Mehidy Hasan Miraz was removed from the format, the squad lacks a definite leadership group. That much is implied by Mahedi Hasan’s appointment as vice captain.
Bangladesh’s T20 cricket season is long. They will play three T20Is against Sri Lanka, five against Pakistan, two against the United Arab Emirates, three more against Pakistan in July, and three against India in August if their calendar stays the same.