Najmul Shanto quits as Bangladesh Test captain hours after Sri Lanka series loss

Najmul Hossain Shanto on Saturday announced his decision to step down as Test captain, hours after Bangladesh’s humbling 1-0 series defeat to Sri Lanka in Colombo. After a hard-fought draw in the opening Test, Bangladesh had arrived in Colombo eager to secure vital points in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle. However, their batting lineup crumbled under pressure, culminating in a heavy defeat by an innings and 78 runs.

In the aftermath of this setback, Shanto addressed the media, clarifying that his decision to relinquish the Test captaincy was made purely with the team’s best interests in mind. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, he stated, “I don`t want to continue [as captain] in the Test format anymore. This is not personal. I have taken the decision for the betterment of the team. I think this will help the team. I have been a part of the dressing room for the past few years.”I think three captains [for the three international formats] is not sensible.”

Shanto went on to express uncertainty about how the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) would respond to his decision but stressed he would respect their judgment. “I don`t know what the board will feel about this, and I will support their decision. But this is my personal decision. I think three separate captains will be difficult for the team to deal with. I would want that no one feels this decision is emotional, or that I am disappointed by something. I want to make this clear. This is for the betterment of the team,” he reiterated.

Earlier this year, Shanto had also stepped aside from the T20I captaincy, while still expressing a desire to continue leading the ODI squad. However, before their recent series, the BCB decided to replace him with Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the 50-over format. Addressing potential speculation about any lingering frustration, Shanto 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. I already informed the cricket operations department a few days back.”

Shanto’s tenure as Test captain saw mixed fortunes. Under his leadership, Bangladesh secured four wins out of 14 Tests. His stint began impressively with a victory over New Zealand in Sylhet in November 2023, followed by a landmark series whitewash in Pakistan in August last year. Individually, he created history by becoming the first Bangladesh captain to score twin centuries in a Test in Sri Lanka, averaging a respectable 36.24 during his captaincy spell.

Looking ahead, Bangladesh have ample time to identify Shanto’s successor, as their next Test assignment isn’t until October, when they face Ireland. Meanwhile, Litton Das continues to lead the T20I side, with Miraz at the helm in ODIs.

This article first appeared on Mid Day