Litton Das Emerges as Top Contender for Bangladesh Test Captaincy After Najmul Hossain Declines

The Bangladesh Cricket Board tried to bring back former captain Najmul Hossain as Test skipper, but he turned down the offer. A BCB official told Cricbuzz on Saturday (October 25) that Najmul had already made up his mind and informed the board. He had stepped down earlier after losing his ODI captaincy and he wasn’t interested in returning to lead the Test team.

BCB cricket operations chairman Nazmul Abedin spoke with Najmul after the third ODI against West Indies at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on October 23, asking him to rethink his decision. However, Najmul made it clear he doesn’t want to lead the team right now, a BCB official said. The Test captain’s position has been empty since Najmul stepped down after the series against Sri Lanka.

Litton Das Emerges as Top Candidate

The board is now searching for a new Test captain, with current T20I skipper Litton Das being the top choice. The BCB is waiting for Litton’s approval as Bangladesh are set to play a two-match Test series against Ireland starting November 11 in Sylhet. ODI captain Mehidy Hasan, who had also shown interest in the Test role, is unlikely to be considered after questions were raised about his ODI leadership.

Even though Bangladesh recently won the ODI series against West Indies after four losses in a row, Mehidy Hasan hasn’t met expectations, winning only three of 13 games as captain. Many in the board doubt his term will be extended beyond June next year. While the BCB had planned to have different captains for each format, president Aminul Islam recently said there’s no strict rule about this anymore.

BCB president Nazmul Bulbul said they will talk with the board, selectors, and coaches to pick the best Test captain, and the player must agree to take the job. He added there’s no strict rule about having three different captains one player could lead all formats, two, or just one, depending on what’s best for the team. Other players like Taijul Islam, who wants to captain Tests, or Mominul Haque, who is open to returning, could also be considered.