Mehidy unfazed by captaincy scrutiny ahead of Pakistan ODIs

Bangladesh ODI captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz could barely hide his dejection when asked whether he would lead the side in the 2027 World Cup during his pre-match press conference ahead of the ODI series against Pakistan.

Mehidy, however, was neither angry nor surprised by questions around his leadership, which has remained under scrutiny since he took over from Najmul Hossain Shanto. The Bangladesh Cricket Board appointed him ODI captain for one year rather than until the next World Cup. It was a giveaway that the board wanted to assess his leadership before making a long-term decision.

The results so far have not helped his case. Bangladesh have won only three of the 13 ODIs Mehidy has captained. While Bangladesh view the upcoming home series against Pakistan as part of their preparations for the next World Cup, Mehidy insisted he is not treating it as a make-or-break moment for his captaincy.

"Look, captaincy exists because a team needs a captain. But I think whoever is given the captaincy, if he's given time, things can be built more beautifully for the team," said Mehidy.

"For me it (Pakistan series) is not a test (as a captain). I will just try to do well for the team's needs. Ultimately the cricket board will decide. As for my role, I will try for however long I'm given this responsibility to take the team to a good position," he said.

"This series is important not just for me, but for the Bangladesh team and for the country. Because Bangladesh will play the World Cup ahead. So for the World Cup, whoever the captain is, I think the first priority is Bangladesh, and qualifying for the upcoming World Cup is very important," he added.

Mehidy also revealed that the BCB had not yet discussed his captaincy tenure with him. "Look, that is not my decision alone. It's a decision for the people in the cricket board and they haven't discussed that matter with me yet. But I feel that since this series (against Pakistan) is very important for us, maybe after this series or after the next one it will be discussed," he said.

Bangladesh's recent ODI form has also come under the scanner, but Mehidy insisted he is not overly concerned, pointing to the long gaps between series.

"I am not worried. I'm not worried about it at all," Mehidy said. "Look, since the last World Cup, how many series have we played? Maybe around 15 ODIs (23). And we've played them with big gaps in between. So I think the expectations people have from me – that I will win many matches – maybe those expectations are not being fully met; maybe it's just average. But of course, I will try to win matches for the team," he said.

"You see, the first two series didn't go well and we lost them. But in the last series we won matches and won the series. So I think this series is very important."

Mehidy added that he is not losing sleep over his own form either, even though his numbers have dipped since taking over the captaincy. Since replacing Najmul as the ODI skipper, Mehidy has scored 173 runs at an average of 21.62 while taking 11 wickets at 32.9.

"Look, I have never really worried about myself. I always try to play as well as possible for the team's needs and to think about how the team can win. So my first priority is always the team doing well. At the end of the day my own performance is also very important, and I am trying to understand how important my role is," he said.

"Because both batting and bowling are important for me. The position I bat in and the way I bowl in certain situations are very helpful for the team. So I think it is very important for me to perform in that role. And at the end of the day, the team's result is also very important as a captain. So I will definitely try my best to perform and take the team to a good place," he added.