After being officially named captain for the final two games of the current series against Afghanistan, Bangladesh’s interim ODI skipper, Litton Das, faced criticism in the press conference room at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium after only 30 minutes.
Following the unexpected retirement of Tamim Iqbal from international cricket, who also happened to be the captain of the 50-over format, BCB decided to use Litton as a temporary replacement for the series.
It was clear that inquiries about the surprise departure of the seasoned campaigner would dominate the news conference, but Litton wasted no time in making it clear that the subject would not be discussed.
I came here, Bhai (brother), to discuss tomorrow. At one point of the press conference, Litton Das said to reporters, “I think I should leave. If you ask questions regarding Tamim here, the board president or coach is more appropriate than me, and I think I should leave.
At 1:00 in the afternoon, I learned of his retirement. I’ve played with him for a long time, and I can say without a doubt that no one anticipated that he would make such a choice, but the elder brother made it, and everyone on the team respects it, so I believe everyone should do the same, as the player stated.
“It is hard to say if we will miss him because today I am here and tomorrow I might not be due to an injury, but no one will miss me because newcomers will come into the side and this is the process. If he were still alive, it might or might not be, but since he isn’t, I don’t believe there is any reason to discuss the subject with me right now. I don’t think it serves any purpose to dwell on the past; rather, we should concentrate on the future and work to improve things for the nation, he said, adding that he is not under any pressure as captain.
When questioned about whether he felt the heat, he responded, “No, no, chill.”
At the ZACS, Bangladesh had a full practice session. Though the cricketers’ faces were dejected when they first got off the bus in the morning, as the day went on, everything returned to normal, and they appeared determined to turn the tables on the Afghans, who are leading the series 1-0 with two games remaining.
Regarding the danger that Afghanistan’s spinners posed, Litton hoped that Bangladesh wouldn’t lose wickets in the middle innings and emphasized the significance of batting appropriately for the game.
We are aware of the fact that spin is their main strength, and we must take care to avoid losing too many wickets if we want to remain in the game, he said.
“In the most recent game, the first 10 overs were difficult, but we handled them effectively, and I don’t believe we have any complaints about it. We fail to recognize the fact that our batters make errors in execution. We didn’t get out against strong pitches. You will occasionally be unsuccessful against scoring deliveries, and we must work to limit them, he stated.
“It is not true that we always need to score 300; if the wicket only requires 300 or 350 runs, then we will be good to go; however, if the wicket only requires 250, then we should try to reach that,” he continued.
Despite the BCB president’s invitation to rethink, Tamim Iqbal appears uninterested in making a comeback; therefore, Bangladesh will begin their trip without him. It now remains to be seen how the squad moves forward without the dependable soldier, who has been a key member for the past 16 years.
Despite the fact that Tamim’s retirement has deeply rocked the nation’s cricketing community, Litton Das surely appeared prepared to begin their new path.
The series’ penultimate game will be contested on July 11 at ZACS, where Bangladesh will play Afghanistan in the second game on July 8.
It was clear that inquiries about the surprise departure of the seasoned campaigner would dominate the news conference, but Litton wasted no time in making it clear that the subject would not be discussed.
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