Bangladesh Test Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto Resigns After Sri Lanka Series Defeat

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

Najmul Hossain Shanto's decision comes after a defeat against Sri Lanka. © AFP

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Najmul Hossain Shanto stated: "I have an announcement to make. 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 he believes Bangladesh does not need separate captains for all three formats of the game. Mehidy Hasan was recently appointed as the ODI captain, 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," Najmul added.

He clarified that his decision was not influenced by the ODI captaincy change and emphasized that his focus is on what is best for the team. "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... this is for the betterment of the team. There is nothing personal here," he asserted.

Najmul also mentioned that he had informed the cricket operations department of his decision several days prior to the public announcement.