Najmul Hossain Shanto Resigns as Bangladesh Test Captain Following Series Loss

Najmul Hossain Shanto has relinquished his role as the captain of the Bangladesh Test team. This announcement follows Bangladesh's disappointing defeat against Sri Lanka in Colombo, where they lost by an innings and 78 runs.

Najmul Hossain Shanto's ODI captaincy was previously revoked © AFP

Addressing the media at the post-match press conference, Najmul Hossain stated: "I have an announcement to make. I am stepping down from the Bangladesh Test captaincy… This is not a personal matter. It is entirely for the betterment of the team, and I believe this will help the team."

He further elaborated on his decision, explaining his reservations about having separate captains for each format of the game. "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."

Najmul Hossain emphasized that his decision was made with the team's best interests at heart, regardless of the board’s potential stance. 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 also addressed concerns that his decision might be linked to the recent change in ODI captaincy, where Mehidy Hasan Miraz took over. Najmul Hossain clarified: "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."

Najmul Hossain also revealed that he had communicated his intentions to the cricket operations department prior to the official announcement.