Long-term planning or short-term thinking?

Ahead of their all-format tour of Sri Lanka, part of the Bangladesh contingent have already departed, with the rest of the Test squad -- led by Najmul Hossain Shanto -- scheduled to leave on Friday. While it is confirmed that Shanto will captain the Test side and Litton Das will lead in T20Is, the ODI captaincy remained undecided even as the team prepared to leave. 

That such uncertainty remains, especially with players already on their way, raises serious concerns. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials had previously informed the media that captaincy will be handed on a long-term basis in both Tests and ODIs. During the announcement of the Test squad, Shanto was named captain for another year.

Shanto, who led the 50-over side during the recent Champions Trophy qualifiers, was naturally asked about his status at yesterday's pre-departure press conference.

"They haven't informed me [about ODI captaincy]. They will let me know," Shanto said simply.

Around an hour after the press conference ended, whispers had already begun that Mehidy Hasan Miraz was set to be named ODI captain. Shanto was in the dark regarding ODI captaincy yesterday and it leaves room for doubts and toxic mismanagement that can lead to an environment destabilising for the players and the management concerned.

A BCB official, with detailed knowledge of the developments, informed The Daily Star that Shanto had asked to be the Test captain for two years. But he has been appointed for a year. However, the WTC cycle continues over a two-year period; not one. So captaincy in Tests has not been handed over for the whole cycle yet.

If long-term planning was in BCB's thoughts, the decision falls into the category of indecisiveness -- and does not breed trust or security in the captain.

The cricket operations committee, currently led by Nazmul Abedeen Fahim since the tenure of former president Faruque Ahmed, is responsible for such decisions. Previously, Fahim loved to shed light on the importance of planning and efficiency, but under his watch the handling of the captaincy scenario suggests otherwise.

If the captaincy was indeed a long-term concern, there was ample time to resolve it well before the team entered the final stages of preparation. The Daily Star attempted to reach Fahim for a comment on the matter, but he was unavailable.

At the press conference, Shanto himself explained why clarity and commitment is pivotal when it comes to long-term planning.

"A longer term is always helpful for the captain. I had it previously and now I got the captaincy for another year. Planning becomes easy if a captain is appointed with a World Cup or a WTC cycle in mind," Shanto stated.

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Can Shanto’s ‘more confident’ team find their spark in Sri Lanka?

Shanto's point is clear: stability strengthens leadership. But by evening, the board had indeed handed the ODI reins to Miraz. But in forming long-term plans, it has shown indecisiveness around WTC cycle plans.

Is BCB building a team for the future, or simply reacting to the present? As it appears, coherent planning is left for daydreams.