Former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud has dismissed the notion that fast bowlers are unfit to lead a team, voicing his support for pacer Taskin Ahmed as a potential T20I captain.

Mahmud, who has worked at various levels of Bangladesh cricket since retiring as a player, made the remarks when asked about the perception that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is hesitant to appoint a fast bowler as captain following the end of Mashrafe Bin Mortaza’s leadership era.

The discussion around Bangladesh’s T20I captaincy has intensified after Najmul Hossain Shanto stepped down from the role. While Litton Das, who previously led the side in the West Indies, remains in the conversation, concerns over his form have left the door open for other candidates—including Taskin Ahmed, who has expressed interest in leading the team, while also acknowledging that the final decision rests with the BCB.

Some within the cricketing fraternity believe that pacers are overlooked for captaincy roles due to their frequent injury concerns and uncertain availability. However, Mahmud disagrees with that line of thought.

“The idea that fast bowlers cannot lead is simply not right,” Mahmud told reporters at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

“If Taskin is injured, that’s why teams have vice-captains—they take over when needed. Saying fast bowlers can’t lead is a flawed argument. What really matters is whether Taskin has leadership qualities, and that’s something the board has to assess.”

Since Mashrafe’s departure, the BCB has experimented with several captains—including Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Nurul Hasan Sohan, and Litton Das—but none have been pace bowlers.

Former national chief selector Minhajul Abedin also weighed in on the debate, refuting suggestions that pacers are deliberately overlooked for leadership roles.

“First and foremost, a player must have the ability to lead. If the board feels a pacer has those qualities, there’s no reason he can’t be captain,” Minhajul told the Daily Sun.

“There’s no hidden reason behind not selecting a pacer. If the board now feels Taskin is ready, he can certainly lead the side.

“We always assess a few key criteria when choosing a captain—whether the player is an automatic choice in the playing XI, and whether he can handle the pressures of leadership.”

Minhajul also pointed out that while batters are traditionally chosen as captains, it doesn’t mean pacers are excluded by default.

“Historically, batters have often been chosen as captains, but that doesn’t mean a fast bowler can’t do the job.”

Whether the BCB ultimately chooses a pacer like Taskin Ahmed as the next T20I captain remains to be seen, but one thing is clear—there are no hard and fast rules preventing a fast bowler from leading the side.