Litton exudes positivity in first press-conference as T20 skipper saying that he is not going to talk about a particular brand of cricket.
Litton exudes positivity as he addressed the media in what his first interaction as Bangladesh’s T20i captain.
With the Bangladesh T20I team, Litton Das wants to prioritise outcomes above a specific style of cricket. In his first press conference following his appointment as Bangladesh’s captain, he established this agenda on Monday. When the BCB announced the team that will play seven Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) against the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan over the course of the next two weeks, Litton was designated captain.
Najmul Hossain Shanto resigned earlier this year, and Litton took over. Early in 2024, Shanto was chosen Bangladesh’s all-format captain; nevertheless, a decline in form prompted him to make this move.
Although Litton has also struggled with form, in December, while Shanto was sidelined due to injury, he guided Bangladesh to a 3-0 victory in the T20I series against the West Indies. Litton was the BCB’s only alternative because Bangladesh had few other options.
Litton emphasised that effective communication with his teammates will be essential to his job.
“I am not going to talk about a particular brand of cricket,” he said. “We might need to chase 180-200 in some games. Then we will have to chase 140-145 in other games. The ultimate goal is to win the game. A batter might need to score 40 off 20 balls in one game, and 15 off 20 in the next game.
“I want every player to be involved in the game. A player must understand what the team needs from him. It is more important for the player to know how to win a game, rather than stick to a brand of cricket.
“For the Bangladesh team to go ahead, the players have to perform. They have to play their specific roles. I have to communicate well with the players, more than talking to the BCB. The more time I get, I will get to be more involved in team matters.”
At the time of his Champions Trophy dismissal, Litton was suffering from a run of poor scores, but he has since found his form again. With two half-centuries in his previous five innings for Gulshan CC, he has carried over his 368 runs at an average of 36.80 and a strike rate of 143.19 from the Bangladesh Premier League into the 50-over Dhaka Premier League.
“I think I played international cricket last [in] December,” he said. “I was not [among the] runs at that time but since then I have tried to get back to form. I tried to get runs in BPL and DPL. I can only try my best. I will try to come back to some form, particularly in the way I have played in my career. If I am doing well, it will definitely help the team.”