Dhaka: Bangladesh cricket team’s Test captain Najmul Hasan Shanto has announced his resignation from the Test format leadership after the Test series defeat against Sri Lanka.
Najmul Hasan Shanto made this announcement at a press conference after the match where Bangladesh suffered a defeat by an innings and 78 runs.
Najmul Hasan Shanto said that he does not want to continue as captain in the Test format. This is not a personal decision but in the interest of the team.
He added that having three captains in three different formats will not be beneficial for the team, I have been a part of the dressing room for some time and I believe that having three captains in three formats is not wise, I had conveyed this decision to the board a few days ago.
He clarified that there is no emotional reaction or personal disappointment behind his decision, I want people not to consider it an emotional decision. This was done completely for the benefit of the team.
Najamul Hasan Shanto took over the Test captaincy of Bangladesh from the home series against New Zealand in November 2023. Under his leadership, the team played 14 Test matches, out of which they won 4, lost 9, and drew one match.
Memorable achievements under his captaincy were achieved by winning two consecutive Tests against Pakistan in August 2024. Shanto’s record in the batting field was also good, as captain his batting average was 36.24 while without captaincy this average was 29.83. In the Test matches in which Bangladesh won, Najamul Hasan Shanto scored runs at an average of 37.16.
It should be remembered that earlier this month Najamul Hasan Shanto was also removed from the leadership of the ODI team and Mehdi Hasan was appointed as the captain in his place.
