Dhaka (AP): Bangladesh has removed Mohammad Ashraful as captain and replaced him with fast bowler Mashrafe bin Mortaza for tours of the West Indies and Zimbabwe, a cricket official said on Tuesday.

Rafiqul Alam, chief selector of Bangladesh Cricket Board, said the change was not related to Bangladesh's poor performance in the recently concluded Twenty20 World Cup, but to reduce the burden on him so he could show his best as a batsman.

Shakib Al Hasan, the world's No 1 allrounder in limited-overs internationals, was been named vice captain, Alam said.

Bangladesh failed to reach the Super Eight phase of the Twenty20 World Cup in the United Kingdom as the side lost to India and Ireland in their first round matches.

"We want him (Ashraful) to play his natural game as a batsman," Alam told reporters in the nation's capital, Dhaka. "He has that potential."

Ashraful took over the captaincy from Habibul Bashar in June 2007 at the age of 22.

Today the board also announced a 15-member squad for the tours. The squad will leave for the West Indies next week to play two tests, three one-day internationals and a Twenty20 international.

The duo will also lead their side on their five-match one-day tour of Zimbabwe in August.