Najmul Hossain Shanto is stepping down as captain of Bangladesh’s Test cricket team. Bangladesh have only recently come off a heavy defeat to Sri Lanka in the second Test down in Colombo. So, after losing to Australia by an innings and 78 runs, the much-heralded decision. With this loss, Sri Lanka secured the two-Test series 1-0 under the captaincy of Dhananjaya de Silva.
Shanto’s decision, which he announced at a post-match presser, shows his willingness to do what’s best for the team. The 26-year-old cricketer has expressed that he does not believe maintaining three different captains for each format—Test, ODI, and T20—is an effective approach.
“I don’t want to continue as captain in this format, and I want to give a clear message to everyone: this is not a personal matter,” Shanto stated. He stressed that his decision was 100 percent in the best interests of the team. “It is entirely for the betterment of the team, and I believe this will help the team,” he added.
Shanto captained the Bangladesh Test team in 14 matches during his short captaincy reign. While they only advanced on four winning ball probabilities, they lost in nine cases. This was the period that encompassed the pisstastic first Test against Sri Lanka, which ended in a rain-affected draw. Mehidy Hasan Miraz had taken over the 50-over format before Shanto resigned as Test captain on June 12. At the same time, new T20 captaincy took on Litton Das’ shoulders.
Shanto, who served as chief selector for a year, had recently told the Bangladesh Cricket Board about his intention to resign. His resignation is a clear indication that our leadership structure surrounding the national team must change. That’s why he thinks it’s important to take a new look at the captaincy apparatus right now.
If the cricket board thinks that they can go on with three captains in three formats, then that’s what they will do. On a personal note, Shanto added, he had great respect for the board’s independence in making decisions like this one.
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