Dhaka, June 13 (IANS) Mehidy Hasan Miraz confirmed the recent ODI captaincy shuffle will not affect the former captain Najmul Hossain Shanto or him as they collectively work as a team for the betterment of Bangladesh cricket.

In a surprise and shocking move, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday appointed Miraz as ODI captain for the next 12 months. The 27-year-old will lead the team starting from the upcoming three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka next month, succeeding Shanto who remains Bangladesh Test captain with Miraz appointed as his deputy.

“I don’t know how (the captaincy) was decided. It is usually done in a board meeting. Nobody can decide on their own. I think all of us are usually prepared mentally for any situation we may have to face (as far getting axed is concerned),” Mehidy told reporters on Friday.

“He was the ODI captain for a term, which had ended (in the Champions Trophy). They probably had conversations about the Test team. I am not sure if they spoke about the ODI team. Fahim sir (Nazmul Abedin – BCB cricket operation chairman) called me (yesterday) and said that they are going to give me the responsibility and he said that they don’t have much time. They have to take a decision quickly. He said that they are planning accordingly.”

Miraz shares a strong rapport with Shanto, having played alongside him and also captained him at various age-group levels, including the 2016 U19 World Cup. He believes the opener will have no issues playing under his leadership once again.

“He (Najmul) has been performing well in ODIs but it was the board’s decision (to change the captaincy). We may not have fulfilled expectations in terms of team results during this period,” he said.

“I don’t think it will have an effect on the dressing room (change in captaincy). We are all playing for the country. These things won’t bother Shanto and me. I helped him a lot during his captaincy. He will do the same. He will help me. We want to take Bangladesh forward.

“Shanto and I have been playing together since our Under-15s. We spoke about taking Bangladesh forward, it doesn’t matter who is the captain. We have to play as a team. Our senior players brought us to a stage, and now we want to take the team further. It is our responsibility. We are going through a bad time but I hope that we can get over it quickly,” Miraz added.

–IANS

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