Dhaka, Sep 18 (IANS/CMC): Bangladesh Cricket Board director Enayet Hossain Siraj has questioned the axing of Shakib Al Hasan as captain, as the authorities begin shopping for a new skipper ahead of the West Indies tour.

Shakib, appointed for the 2009 tour of the Caribbean, was dismissed from the post following Bangladesh's disappointing tour of Zimbabwe recently.

Siraj, who did not attend the board meeting at which the decisions were taken, was highly critical of the process used to get rid of Shakib.

"Even a person condemned to death gets the opportunity to defend himself. My question is, was Shakib given this opportunity? I don't think so," Siraj argued.

"There is a code of conduct for the contracted players and you have to first see whether they breach it or not before taking any disciplinary action. And without any hearing you can't reach a final decision."

In explaining the BCB's decision, media chairman Jalal Younus said earlier this month that Shakib, and his deputy Tamim Iqbal, had failed to control the team.

"We thought they could improve their behaviour," Younus explained.

Bangladesh lost the one-day series 3-2 and went down by 130 runs in the one-off Test.

Siraj said Bangladesh cricket could pay a price for Shakib's axing but noted that time would be the real test of the decision.

"You can hire a coach or other supporting staff, but you can't hire a captain, so you have to be careful in this regard," he pointed out.

"Once we had axed some senior players at a time and still we have been compensating for that. For every wrongdoing you have to pay heavily.

"The board has every right to take any decision and we have to accept it, but only time can say how good the decision was."

West Indies will play one Twenty20, three One-Day Internationals and two Tests in a tour running from Oct 7 to Nov 2.