Bangladesh Test Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto Resigns Following Sri Lanka Defeat

Najmul Hossain Shanto has relinquished his role as the captain of the Bangladesh Test team. The announcement follows Bangladesh's disappointing defeat to Sri Lanka in Colombo.

Najmul Hossain Shanto was recently stripped off ODI captaincy © 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." He emphasized that his decision was not personal but rather aimed at benefiting the team. "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. It is entirely for the betterment of the team, and I believe this will help the team."

Najmul further explained his belief that Bangladesh didn't require separate captains for each format of the game. He highlighted that the ODI captaincy had recently been assigned to Mehidy Hasan, and he himself had previously stepped down as the 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. 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 clarified.

He also addressed concerns that his decision might be linked to the ODI captaincy change. "If the cricket board feels they will continue with three captains in three formats, that will be their decision. I just hope people don't see this as a personal issue or think I did this because I felt bad about the ODI captaincy snub. I want to make it clear again: this is for the betterment of the team. There is nothing personal here," he reiterated.

Najmul confirmed that he had communicated his decision to the cricket operations department several days prior to the public announcement.