Shanto relinquishes Bangladesh Test Captaincy after series loss against Sri Lanka in post-match press conference.
Shanto relinquishes test captaincy following series loss to Sri Lanka.
After Bangladesh lost the series 1-0 in Sri Lanka, Najmul Hossain Shanto resigned as captain of the Test team. After Bangladesh lost the Test by 78 runs and an innings, Shanto declared at the press conference, “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,” Shanto said. “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. 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.
“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.
Shanto took charge before the home series against New Zealand in November 2023 and led Bangladesh in 14 Test matches. Under him, Bangladesh lost nine games but won four, including a memorable two-in-two against Pakistan in August 2024. The lone Test in the series to finish in a draw was the first one played in Sri Lanka. As captain, his own batting performance had been strong, averaging 36.24 compared to 29.83 when he wasn’t captain. Additionally, Shanto scored 37.16 in the four Test matches that Bangladesh won under his leadership.