The Bangladesh Cricket Board has opted for continuity. Mehidy Hasan Miraz will remain ODI captain through to the 2027 World Cup, while Litton Das keeps the T20I armband until the 2028 edition. Both appointments were confirmed after a board meeting in Dhaka on Saturday evening.
Nazmul Abedeen, who heads cricket operations, said the directors felt long-term stability mattered more than chopping and changing. “Since our T20 captain’s tenure ended with the 2026 T20 World Cup, the current T20 captain and vice-captain will continue until the next T20 World Cup in 2028. At the same time, our ODI captain’s tenure is also nearing its end. So, we feel it is very important that the captains can work uninterrupted and follow a long-term vision.”
Litton’s original term was supposed to conclude after the 2026 T20 tournament in India and Sri Lanka, a competition Bangladesh eventually skipped citing security concerns over fixtures on Indian soil. Mehidy, meanwhile, took over the 50-over side last year and oversaw series wins against the West Indies in Chattogram and Pakistan in Mirpur. Neither captain has yet led in a global event, but the board is keen to give them the chance to mould their squads in their own image.
“(Mehidy Hasan) Miraz has already been leading the team for about a year, and with the World Cup approaching, we thought that giving him this opportunity would allow him to organise and strengthen the team even better,” Abedeen said. “In my view, Miraz has been doing well and has performed strongly for the team. Considering all these factors, this decision has been made to provide a long-term tenure, ensuring that the captains can play a decisive role in shaping and managing the team effectively.”
The only other headline from the meeting involved coaching staff. Former left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique has signed on as spin-bowling consultant for the next 12 months, his first formal role with the national set-up since retiring in 2008. Though now 56, Rafique still turns out in veterans’ tournaments and club cricket, something Abedeen believes sets the right tone.
“Based on his performance, especially his bowling and considering the tournaments he has played recently, he doesn’t even seem like a retired cricketer,” Abedeen said. “Even at this age, his intent and attitude on the field in a regular game are impressive. So we think that spinners of every level can benefit from him.”
Bangladesh have long prided themselves on producing slow-bowling talent, yet the board admits the coaching pipeline is thin. “To be honest, we have about eight or ten pace-bowling coaches. But when we look back, we cannot even find three spin-bowling coaches in the country. That is very alarming. We need to develop our own spin coaches. Rafique is almost a ready-made person who can serve this purpose immediately,” Abedeen added.
For Mehidy and Litton, the message is equally straightforward: the dressing-room is theirs for the next two cycles. Whether the extra time translates into progress on the field will become clear soon enough, with a home ODI series against Afghanistan and a brief T20 swing through New Zealand pencilled in for late summer.
