The time to decide is now

Is the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) at a crossroads regarding its decision about a captain for the 2019 World Cup? It is two years down the line but like many other established cricket boards it is about time for the BCB to make a judicious call right now.

Although the board has done enough over the last couple of years to diminish the role of the captain -- leaving him out of the selection process, and making the coach more powerful -- the captain still played a very important part in the success story of the Tigers on the international front. We have got three captains in three different formats at the moment and apart from the one-day captain the rest appear to be a marriage of convenience -- an extremely volatile Shakib Al Hasan leading the Tigers in T20Is and an ultra-defensive Mushfiqur Rahim on the Test front.

The board however struck a fine balance between an imposing coach and an inspirational captain in the one-day format. And ever since Mashrafe Bin Mortaza was made captain for the shorter format of the game just before the 2015 World Cup, the Mashrafe-Hathurusingha partnership has done wonders for Bangladesh cricket.

These two gentlemen, one with an uncanny ability to unearth the best of a talented bunch, and the other sticking by his teammates in desperate times, delivered results beyond imagination. The impact of the two tacticians not only took the Tigers up the ladder to an enviable sixth position in the ODI rankings but also made a contributing effect in the longer version of the game.

When Mashrafe was made captain, the board was not convinced that an otherwise injury-plagued pace bowler could run the distance. Mashrafe not only led Bangladesh to 41 ODIs since late 2014 that culminated in the semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy against India at The Oval last month, but he was also the best performer with the ball in that semifinal which Bangladesh lost badly.

There was a time when Bangladesh looked at cricket like a daily dose of entertainment. There was hardly any ambition from a team that seldom won a game. But over the last couple of years they have not only made every game count but become ambitious enough to plan for the future.

So, after the ICC Champions Trophy it is quite natural for Bangladesh to plan for the next big thing -- the 2019 World Cup in England. The board has already retained a support staff revolving around Hathurusingha, who has made sure of a company that he can feel at ease with.

The Sri Lankan also had a wish that he has never addressed publicly. He has his own plan that he duly delegated to the board. And being a professional he knows the shortcomings in his team and will tell you how desperately he needed a leg-spinner of quality or a power hitter down the batting order to give the team a complete shape.

Chandika never publicly said that he was against Mashrafe to continue as captain. But privately he would always ask Mashrafe 'if he has taken a decision' about his future. Again this is a purely professional query from a very professional coach.

But the burning question is if it is about time for Mashrafe to hand over the one-day baton to new leadership. The board will be sitting in a week's time to discuss the future shape of the Tigers and more particularly the future of Mashrafe as captain. The board is under tremendous pressure with opinions supporting Mashrafe gathering momentum.

The most popular among the opinions is that Mashrafe should be the one to decide his destiny. This is a popular slogan and it belies logic. Had it been the case, many famous cricketers would not have to be pushed into forced retirement. It is absolutely imperative for the board to decide if Mashrafe is to continue to lead the Tigers to England 2019.

Because if a decision is made it is not only easy to execute but also removes those grey areas and uncertainties that greatly affect the performance of every individual in the team.

Mashrafe is not getting younger. He is 34 and his pace is substantially reduced. He now relies on all his experience -- those cutters and slow bouncers -- to make up for his pace. While he is still one of the best pace bowling options in the team, his ability to use the long handle has diminished greatly. There might be an argument that he is hindering the making of a third seamer who can be very a useful batter down the order. But the counter argument is that we have still two more seamers in the team so why should the blame be on Mashrafe alone. He is by far the best thinking captain and most aggressive one. His introduction of Mosaddek Hossain at a crucial stage of the New Zealand innings during the ICC Champions Trophy is one of his many masterstrokes.

Mashrafe, however, is a liability on the field. And he would never make the team if only his athleticism is considered. And for someone who had both his knees operated on seven times this is quite natural, but can't be an excuse when you expect hundred per cent from all 11 players in the middle.

The dressing room philosophy is also a very important factor to consider before deciding on a captain. Mashrafe has been the unquestionable leader for his teammates. He was successful or to some extent the coach was successful because the team rallied behind them. It is also important for the board to consider the thinking in the dressing room and individual opinions. Sport has seen very good teams under very good coaches and captains fail just because they were not motivated.

The board, we expect, will shun the idea of any publicity stunt or resorting to a temporary arrangement, which in the long run will put a smooth progress in jeopardy. The board should consider things pragmatically and come up with a logical conclusion -- be it Mashrafe or not.