Bangladesh Test Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto Resigns Following Series Defeat

Najmul Hossain Shanto has resigned from his position as the captain of the Bangladesh Test team. This announcement follows Bangladesh's recent defeat to Sri Lanka by an innings and 78 runs in Colombo.

Najmul Hossain Shanto's ODI captaincy was previously terminated. © AFP

Addressing the media after the match, 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 based on personal reasons but was "entirely for the betterment of the team." He believes this change will ultimately benefit the team's performance.

The Reasoning Behind the Resignation

Najmul Hossain further explained that he felt it was not ideal for Bangladesh to have separate captains for each of the three formats of the game. It's worth noting that Mehidy Hasan was recently appointed as the ODI captain, and Najmul had previously stepped down as T20I captain.

"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," he said. "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 reiterated that his decision should not be interpreted as a reaction to being removed from the ODI captaincy. "This is for the betterment of the team. There is nothing personal here," he clarified.

Najmul Hossain also mentioned that he had informed the cricket operations department of his decision a few days prior to the public announcement.