Najmul Hossain Likely to Step Down as Bangladesh Test Captain After Sri Lanka Series
The Bangladesh cricket team could be facing a rough patch ahead, as Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is likely to step down after the Sri Lanka series. Appointed for a one-year term as red-ball captain, Shanto has also led the team in T20Is and ODIs in the past seems unhappy with the current situation and is reportedly considering giving up the Test captaincy.
According to Cricbuzz, Najmul Hossain Shanto has already sent a letter to the Bangladesh Cricket Board expressing his wish to step down as Test captain. He is expected to make an official announcement after the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo. A source close to Shanto told the publication that the batter is firm in his decision to resign, mainly due to recent events that have left him unhappy.
“I think he will not continue as Test captain after the Test series against Sri Lanka,” a source said.
Shanto Dropped as ODI Captain Just Before SL Series Prep
Earlier in June, Shanto was unexpectedly replaced by Mehidy Hasan Miraz as ODI captain, despite having told the board he wanted to continue leading both the ODI and Test sides. Reports suggest Shanto was preparing to lead the team in the three-match series against Sri Lanka and was set to meet head coach Phil Simmons to discuss strategy when he was informed of the BCB’s decision to remove him.
Speaking to Bangla Daily Kaler Kantho in a video interview published on June 21, Aminul clarified the board’s stance on Najmul Hossain Shanto’s captaincy situation. He said, “Shanto’s captaincy wasn’t taken away; the decision was made with full consent from everyone on the board. We planned to take a new direction. Since we are playing a lot of cricket across all formats, we decided to go with three separate captains. Litton is leading in T20Is, Shanto in Tests, and since Shanto is doing well in Tests, we felt Miraz could handle the ODI side so Shanto could focus better on the other formats.”
He added, “It was a policy decision. We had planned that one of us would speak to Shanto about it, and that person reported back that Shanto took the decision positively. Maybe the situation became confusing due to some false news and misunderstandings. But to sum up, the board made a collective decision, and Shanto accepted it sportingly.”