No one can replace captain Shakib, say majority of fans

Bangladesh T20I and Test captain Shakib Al Hasan has twice expressed his unwillingness to lead the team but most fans want him to stay on as captain. 

Most of the fans believe that there are no replacements for the leadership position and the premier all-rounder in world cricket should continue as captain. 

"If you look at the team, we hardly have any other player with Shakib's pedigree and level of experience. He can lead the team simply with his performance," explained Mahmudul Hossain.

"Shakib might have said that he didn't want to lead the team because he was emotional after the Afghanistan loss. If he takes time to think about it, he will realise that he's the best candidate to lead the team," said Mohammad Shourav Rahman.

Some fans also believed that the left-handed all-rounder is the best candidate to lead the team in all three formats when current ODI captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza retires. 

"There is only one Shakib Al Hasan in world cricket. He's a generational talent. The way he performed in the World Cup, he should be taking over the captaincy in all three formats," expressed Sobhan Ahmed.

It is understood that Mushfiqur Rahim does not want to lead the side in any format again.

On the other hand, Tamim Iqbal has not shown signs of promise as a leader in the Sri Lanka tour, where he underperformed with the bat, Bangladesh lost 3-0 and Tamim subsequently took a break from cricket.

And among senior players Mahmudullah Riyad has been considered as another candidate to lead the side by a small minority of fans.

"If Shakib doesn't want to lead the team, we should give the captaincy to Mahmudullah. He has done it previously in the BPL and he has done great there," expressed Tehan Ibne Wahid. 

Another fan, Sanaullah Ashraf also wanted Mahmudullah to be leading the side if Shakib didn't want to lead: "Shakib saying this to the media could be causing problems within the team and the management. Giving Mahmudullah the captaincy now could solve those problems."

Shakib has expressed that he would like to focus more on his own game than lead the team and that has shown in his recent performances.

He was not at his best with the bat against Afghanistan in the one-off Test while he scored just one run and conceded 30 runs in an over - the most he's conceded in an over in his international career - in the first T20I against Zimbabwe.

Some believe that his future as captain does remain uncertain and depending on the results of the tri-nation series, a decision will be made by the board.

"Shakib has not spoken much about his reluctance when it comes to captaincy with the BCB so it remains to be seen what will happen in the future. A lot will depend on what happens in this series, and a poor one, might bring about a change from the board," explained television journalist Barshon Kabir. 

"It's a tricky situation that needs to be handled with care by the board. As Shakib is the best player and best performer in the team, he needs to be given every opportunity to play with a free mind. Having said that, I don't see any alternatives, especially in Tests," explained news website reporter Ariful Islam Roney.

That is the main issue that Bangladesh cricket is dealing with right now, and will have to come up with a solution quickly. 

19-year-old Afif Hossain was the star performer in the first T20I victory against Zimbabwe, and Shakib has said that he would like one of the younger players take charge of the team. 

The 32-year-old has also added that the team should build for the future with youngsters around and that will benefit Bangladesh cricket in the long run.

Whether one of the younger players, the likes of Mehidy Hasan Miraz, are actually ready to lead the team well is the big question.

The bigger question however remains whether one of the younger players are going to be as good as captain Shakib if they are made captain.