Colombo: Najmul Hossain Shanto has stepped down as the captain of the Bangladesh Test team, citing that he took the decision for the betterment of the team. His decision came after Bangladesh’s 1-0 loss to Sri Lanka in a two-match Test series, following an innings and 78 runs defeat in the second match in Colombo.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Shanto announced his decision at the post-match conference. “I have an announcement to make,” he said. “I am stepping down from the Bangladesh Test captaincy. I don’t want to continue as captain in this format.” Shanto clarified that his decision was not due to any personal issues but was made purely in the interest of the team. “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,” he emphasized.
Shanto was appointed as Bangladesh’s all-format captain last year but had previously stepped down as T20 captain. Before the Sri Lanka series, the board announced Mehidy Hasan Miraz as the captain of the ODI format, resulting in three captains for three formats.