Captaincy, however, might have influenced his recent innings -- particularly the 76 in the second T20I against Sri Lanka in Dambulla, the highest score by a Bangladesh T20I captain.

For all the flair on offer, consistency has remained not only an issue for Shamim but for most Bangladesh batters over the years. However, rather than clip his wings, coaches have instead tried to harness his natural instincts.

Bangladesh have only managed to win one bilateral series after going 1–0 down in a three-match contest.

The last time Bangladesh played without any of Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur, Shakib, Mashrafe and Tamim in an ODI match was in 2005, incidentally against Sri Lanka.

Miraz's recent ODI record establishes him as a consistent performer, which makes him a good captaincy candidate as he could lead by example. His pedigree as a leader, however, is not as impressive.

Nissanka's 194-run partnership with Chandimal had already turned the screws on Bangladesh, who were bundled out for 247 on Day 1.

Called back into the ODI squad, the 30-year-old returns with greater responsibilities to bear.

Bangladesh last played a Test in Colombo in 2017 -- at the P Sara Oval -- celebrating their 100th Test with a historic win over Sri Lanka.

With Miraz available for selection, Bashar feels that Bangladesh have the option of picking five bowlers in Colombo Test.

Bangladesh ended the penultimate day of the Galle Test as the happier of the two sides thanks to opener Shadman Islam's 76 and skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto's unbeaten 56 as the visitors have reached 177-3 at stumps to lead Sri Lanka by 187 runs heading into the final day.

Salahuddin refused to blame the rain break for the collapse, pointing instead to poor shot selection.

For Bangladesh, the 2023–25 cycle marked a step forward.

Currently ranked 10th in the ICC ODI rankings -- their lowest position in two decades -- Bangladesh are in need of a turnaround, and Miraz hopes the team can rise from this slump and see the Tigers transform into a settled ODI side within a year.

A key aspect of the preparations will be adapting to the slightly spin-friendly pitch at Galle, where the first Test is scheduled to begin on June 17.