Bangladesh axe Shakib as captain

DHAKA, (Reuters)- Bangladesh have sacked captain  Shakib Al Hasan and his deputy Tamim Iqbal following the team’s  dismal tour of Zimbabwe, the Bangladesh Cricket Board said yesterday.

Zimbabwe, returning to test cricket after a six-year exile  for political reasons, beat Bangladesh by 130 runs in a one-off  match.

The home side also won the one-day international series 3-2,  Bangladesh’s first limited-overs series defeat by Zimbabwe in  six years.

“Shakib and Tamim and have been removed from their posts as  they failed to lead the team to success in Zimbabwe,” BCB  spokesman Jalal Yunus told reporters after a meeting of the  Board of Directors.

Shakib was appointed captain on a permanent basis in  February and was due to lead the team until Bangladesh’s home  series against Pakistan in December.

Earlier he led the side on an interim basis in the absence  of injured Mashrafe Mortaza and almost single-handedly guided  Bangladesh to an unprecedented 4-0 win over New Zealand in a  one-day series last year.

He came into conflict with officials when he questioned team  selection before the Zimbabwe tour and received a written  caution

Bangladesh’s next opponents are West Indies who they host in  in a Twenty20 International, three one-dayers and two tests  starting in October.