Najmul Hossain Shanto steps down from Bangladesh Test captaincy after loss to Sri Lanka
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has announced his decision to step down from Test leadership following the team’s 1-0 series defeat to Sri Lanka. This announcement has come after the team lost the second match by an innings and 78 runs.
Speaking at the post-match conference, Najmul Hossain Shanto shared that rather making decision based on disappointment, he took this path with the future of the team in mind.
“I don’t want to continue (as captain) in the Test format anymore,” Shanto said at the post-match conference.
“This is not personal. I have taken the decision for the betterment of the team. I think this will help the team. I have been a part of the dressing room for the past few years. I think three captains (for the three international formats) is not sensible. I don’t know what the board will feel about this, and I will support their decision. But this is my personal decision. I think three separate captains will be difficult for the team to deal with,” he said.
Najmul Hossain Shanto also emphasized that the decision should not be taken as an emotional reaction or relate this to the recent series loss.
“I would want that no one feels this decision is emotional, or that I am disappointed by something. I want to make this clear. This is for the betterment of the team,” he said.
Speaking about his decision, Shanto also told that he had already shared this intention with the operations department of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) some while ago.
Najmul Hossain Shanto was appointed Bangladesh’s red-ball captain in November 2023 during their home series against New Zealand. Under his leadership, the team played 14 Tests- where they won four (two were historic victories in Pakistan in August 2024), lost nine and ended one match as a draw.
Apart from these results, Najmul Hossain Shanto’s personal numbers thrived as the captain. His average before the role was 29.82, but when he was appointed as the skipper, the number rose to 36.24.
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