Najmul Hossain Resigns as Bangladesh Test Skipper After Series Defeat

Najmul Hossain Shanto has officially stepped down from his role as the Bangladesh Test captain. This announcement follows Bangladesh's disappointing defeat to Sri Lanka in Colombo, where they lost by an innings and 78 runs.

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

Addressing the media at the post-match press conference, Najmul 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 made "entirely for the betterment of the team." He expressed his belief that this change would positively impact the team's performance.

Najmul further elaborated on his decision, suggesting that Bangladesh might benefit from having fewer captains across different formats. He noted that he had already relinquished the T20I captaincy, and the ODI captaincy was recently handed over to Mehidy Hasan.

He explained, "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... In my view, having three captains will be difficult for the team. So, for the betterment of the team, I am stepping down."

Najmul clarified that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) might have a different perspective on the captaincy matter, and he respects their potential decision to continue with separate captains for each format.

He reiterated that his decision should not be interpreted as a reaction to losing the ODI captaincy. "I want to make it clear again: this is for the betterment of the team. There is nothing personal here," he affirmed. He also mentioned that he had communicated his intentions to the cricket operations department a few days prior to the public announcement.