Mashrafe Mortaza has been installed as Bangladesh captain in place of Mohammad Ashraful.
Mortaza new Tigers skipper as Ashraful replaced in search of form
Mashrafe Mortaza has been installed as Bangladesh captain for the tour of the West Indies after Mohammad Ashraful was relieved of his position.
Ashraful has faced severe criticism for his team's loss to Ireland and their subsequent first-round exit from the World Twenty20 in England.
The talented batsman had struggled to find his best form while burdened with the captaincy and Bangladesh Cricket Board spokesman Mohammed Jalaj Yunus said they hoped he could get back in the runs without the added responsibility.
"The board wants to sincerely thank Mohammad Ashraful for his contribution as skipper. The decision to replace him was taken with the intention of relieving the load on Ashraful so that he can play his natural game," Yunus said.
"We all know his quality and what he is capable of as a batsman and we are confident that without the burden of captaincy his batting would flourish and he would contribute more to the team."
Extended
Ashraful took over from Habibul Bashar in June 2007 and was due to continue until after the tour of the Caribbean having had his term as captain extended in February.
Fast bowler Mashrafe will lead the team in the West Indies, while all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan will be his deputy.
"We believe we have picked the ideal person as captain," Yunus said. "Apart from his obvious match-winning ability Mortaza is a proven fighter and has the experience. He can inspire and motivate the team.
"This is a new challenge for him and we know that he loves challenges."
Bangladesh team will leave for the Caribbean on June 29 to play two Tests, three one-day internationals and a Twenty20 international.
Bangladesh: Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Junaid Siddique, Raqibul Hasan, Mohammad Ashraful, Shahadat Hossain, Syed Rasel, Mahmud Ullah, Rubel Hossain, Mehrab Hossain Jr, Imrul Kayes, Mahbubul Alam, Enamul Haque Jr, Shahriar Hossain.
