Liton leads in Shakib’s absence

In absence of regular skipper Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh Test side's vice-captain Liton Das led the Tigers on the opening day of their three-day warm-up match against the CWI President's XI at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua yesterday.

Bangladesh, after electing to bat, lost opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy early as the youngster departed without troubling the scorers. Joy was dismissed by Jeremiah Louis in just the second over of the morning.

However, experienced Tamim Iqbal and Najmul Hossain Shanto, who came in at number three, started the rebuilding work. The duo brought the momentum back, stitching together a fifty-run partnership to help the Tigers recover from the early hiccup.

Following the three-day practice match, Bangladesh will take on West Indies in the first of the two-match Test series on June 16 at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

Shakib, who is enjoying a short vacation with his family in the United States, is yet to join his teammates at the Caribbean where the Tigers have already started their mission without their skipper.