Bangladesh Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto Steps Down From The Captaincy Role
Najmul Hossain Shanto steps down as Bangladesh captain following Test series loss against Sri Lanka.
Kevin Varchand 
Dhaka (Bangladesh) June 28: Bangladesh Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto stepped down as the leader following his side’s loss against Sri Lanka in the second Test of the two-match series on Saturday. Following an innings and 78-run loss in the second Test in Colombo, Shanto announced his decision to resign as the skipper during the post-match press conference. The left-handed batter Shanto led Bangladesh in 14 Tests.
He had taken over as the Test captain before the home series against New Zealand in November 2023. Under Shanto, Bangladesh won four matches, including a memorable series win against Pakistan in Pakistan in August 2024.
However, under Shanto, Bangladesh also lost nine matches. The first Test against Sri Lanka, which ended as a draw, was the only drawn Test as captain for Shanto. The left-handed batter performed well with the bat after taking over the captaincy, averaging 36.24. When he was not the captain, he averaged 29.83.
“I don’t want to continue as captain in the Test format anymore. 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,” Shanto told reporters following the conclusion of the second Test.
“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 added.
For the betterment of the team
Shanto clarified that he has decided to step down for the betterment of the team. He said that it is not an emotional call, and he is not disappointed by anything.
“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,” said Shanto.
He also stated that he had informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) about his decision “some days back”. It must be mentioned that he was replaced as the ODI captain by Mehidy Hasan Miraz earlier this month.
