Bangladesh Test Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto Resigns Following Series Defeat

Najmul Hossain Shanto has officially resigned from his position as the Bangladesh Test captain. This announcement follows Bangladesh's devastating defeat to Sri Lanka in Colombo, where they lost by an innings and 78 runs.

Najmul Hossain Shanto's captaincy run comes to an end © AFP

Addressing the media at the post-match press conference, Najmul Hossain stated, "I have an announcement to make. I am stepping down from the Bangladesh Test captaincy. I don't want to continue as captain in this format." He emphasized that his decision was not personal, but rather "entirely for the betterment of the team," expressing his belief that this move would ultimately benefit the squad.

The decision appears to stem from a desire to streamline leadership roles within the Bangladesh cricket setup. Najmul explained his rationale, stating that he felt it illogical for Bangladesh to maintain three separate captains across the three formats of the game. It's worth noting that Mehidy Hasan recently took over the ODI captaincy, and Najmul had previously relinquished the T20I captaincy.

Najmul further elaborated, "Over the last few years, I have had the opportunity to be in this dressing room, and I don't feel it is logical to have three captains for three formats. This is completely my personal opinion. The cricket board might think otherwise, and I fully respect that. In my view, having three captains will be difficult for the team. So, for the betterment of the team, I am stepping down."

He also addressed potential speculation regarding his motives, saying, "If the cricket board feels they will continue with three captains in three formats, that will be their decision. I just hope people don't see this as a personal issue or think I did this because I felt bad about the ODI captaincy snub. I want to make it clear again: this is for the betterment of the team. There is nothing personal here."

Najmul confirmed that he had communicated his intentions to the cricket operations department prior to the public announcement, ensuring a smooth transition process.