Bangladesh Test Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto Resigns After Sri Lanka Defeat

Najmul Hossain Shanto has resigned from his position as the Bangladesh Test captain. This announcement follows Bangladesh's heavy defeat to Sri Lanka in Colombo.

Najmul Hossain Shanto's recent ODI captaincy removal raises questions. © AFP

Najmul confirmed his decision at the post-match press conference, stating, "I am stepping down from the Bangladesh Test captaincy. I don't want to continue as captain in this format... 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 explained that his decision was influenced by his belief that Bangladesh does not need separate captains for all three formats of the game. Mehidy Hasan recently took over the ODI captaincy, 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... In my view, having three captains will be difficult for the team. So, for the betterment of the team, I am stepping down," he elaborated.

Najmul also addressed concerns about potential personal motivations behind his 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 emphasized.

He concluded by stating that he had already informed the cricket operations department of his decision a few days prior to the public announcement.