Former Bangladesh ODI captain Mashrafe Mortaza has offered successor Tamim Iqbal plenty of advice.
Seamer Mortaza's tenure ended earlier this year. Opening batsman Iqbal has taken over.
“You will hear a lot of advice as a captain – ‘do this, do that'; but as long as you listen to your heart, you will be able to sleep at night even if you lose. You will be unhappy if you had to do what other people told you. I have always believed in this,” Mortaza told Iqbal during a conversation on Facebook.
“I never really supported your view of being reluctant about captaincy. Why wouldn't you be the captain? You already have leadership qualities. The Bangladesh Cricket Board will give you the captaincy for a long time, but that's up to them. You have to accept it properly.”
Iqbal will lead a squad comprising other former captains, including the veteran Shakib Al Hasan, wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqar Rahim and all-rounder Mohammad Mahmudullah.
“I won't tell you how to do your captaincy, but you should do what your heart desires. Of course, you will have Shakib Al Hasan, Rahim and Mahmudullah around you, but if you listen to your gut feeling, you will be more successful,” added Mortaza.
Bangladesh's young guns
The young and talented Soumya Sarkar, Liton Das and Mustafizur Rahman will also be at Iqbal's disposal when international cricket resumes after the coronavirus pandemic.
“Bangladesh's reality is a little different. You have to be patient. If you can make the players understand that you will do everything you can for them, they will give the best for you. As long as I am confident in your ability, it doesn't matter what others are saying. You have match-winners in Soumya, Liton and Mustafiz, so if something is being said about them, you have to handle it,” concluded Mortaza.
“Everyone had a lot to say about Shakib batting at number three in the 2019 World Cup. Shakib was confident that he could handle the pressure. My point of view was that if he failed in two matches, nobody would be more concerned than Shakib. He knows how to handle the pressure. I backed him fully because I felt he would have maximum impact at number three.”
Bangladesh will be involved in the next edition of the T20 World Cup.
