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The newly appointed ODI captain of the Bangladesh national team, Mehidy Hasan Miraz said on Friday that he is eager to take Bangladesh to a better stage after admitting that the team was struggling in this format. 

Mehidy replaced Najmul Hossain Shanto on Thursday when the BCB announced him as captain for the next 12 months, starting with the Sri Lanka series.  

At present, Bangladesh are ranked 10th in the ICC ODI teams’ ranking, marking their lowest position in 19 years. They will return to the format after three months, having last played at the Champions Trophy in February. 

The Tigers are set to play a total of 23 ODIs in the next 12 months. Mehidy thinks it will offer him ample opportunity to take the team to a better place. 

‘The thinking is to get the team out of the current struggle,’ Mehidy said at a press conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. 

‘We have several ODIs in the next 12 months. Two senior players retired from ODIs recently, so those given the opportunity must settle in during the next year,’ he said.

‘Our senior players brought us to a certain level, and now we aim to take the team further. It is our responsibility. We are going through a bad time, but I hope we can get over it quickly.’

Mehidy stated that his first target would be a series win over Sri Lanka.  

‘We want to win our first ODI series in Sri Lanka. The first match is very important as we haven’t been playing much ODI cricket lately. We didn’t have many last year. It is going to be challenging, as we used to play 15-20 ODIs per year.’  

Mehidy, who had a four-match captaincy experience in the format when Shanto was injured, mentioned that he only received the call on Thursday about taking up the role in a full-term capacity. 

He said, ‘Fahim sir called me yesterday and said that they are going to give me the responsibility. He mentioned that they don’t have much time and have to make a decision quickly. He said they are planning accordingly.’  

However, Mehidy believes it would be better for any captain to take on the role in a long-term capacity. 

‘I made my captaincy debut in a different circumstance. I was the vice-captain, so I had to step up as Shanto got injured. It is difficult to lead the side in that situation,’ he said. 

‘It was Shanto’s setup. I just had to manage the field. I gained experience during those four ODIs, but captaincy functions better on a long-term basis. I will try to get the team to a good position in 12 months,’ he added.  

The 29-year-old also reflected on his captaincy approach while speaking to the press.  

‘I have learnt a lot from my captains in the past. I will utilise that knowledge as the ODI captain. I have always observed how they made their decisions strongly,’ he said. 

‘A captain has to make strong decisions in challenging situations. You might not get a second chance. How you make the decision is crucial.’

He also expressed hope for support from his predecessor and long-term friend, Shanto.  

‘Shanto and I have been playing together since under-15s. We talked about taking Bangladesh forward; it doesn’t matter who is the captain. We have to play as a team,’ he added.