Bangladesh men’s Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has said he is looking forward to building
a consistent and competitive team over the next year, as he prepares to lead the side into a
new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle starting this month in Sri Lanka.
Speaking at a press conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on
Thursday, Shanto stressed the importance of knowing the duration of his leadership role.
“It’s always easier to plan when you know how long you are leading the team. Now that I’ve
been given at least a year, I can start thinking with a long-term mindset,” he said.
The left-handed batter also outlined clear objectives for the upcoming WTC 2023–2025 cycle —
with one of the key targets being to improve Bangladesh’s record in home Tests.
The Tigers begin their WTC campaign with a challenging two-match away series against Sri
Lanka. The first Test starts on 17 June in Galle, followed by the second Test in Colombo on 25
June. The tour will also include three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20
Internationals (T20Is).
The first group of players left for Sri Lanka on Tuesday, with the rest of the squad expected to
follow soon.
Sri Lanka have traditionally been a strong side at home, particularly on spin-friendly pitches.
Despite that, Shanto said he hopes the team can build on its recent away form and start the
cycle with positive results.
“We performed better away than at home in the last cycle. This time, we want to keep that
momentum going but also focus on improving our performance at home,” Shanto said.
In the previous WTC cycle, Bangladesh recorded their best-ever performance, winning four
matches out of 12. However, three of those wins came on foreign soil. At home, they won only
once in six matches, losing the remaining five.
Shanto acknowledged that this imbalance had hurt their overall standing in the competition.
“We need to win our home matches. Last time, our poor home form cost us. If we had
managed two or three more wins at home, it would have reflected in our overall points tally,”
he said.
When asked whether reaching the WTC final is a realistic goal for Bangladesh this time, Shanto
responded with cautious optimism.
“It’s a big dream, and it would be naive to look too far ahead. We need to take it step by step,”
he said.
He pointed out that Bangladesh had only one Test win in the WTC cycle before the last one.
That number rose to four in the 2021–2023 cycle, and he now aims to build further on that
improvement.
“We’ve made progress. If we can win two or three more games than last time, it will be a sign
of steady development. If we keep moving forward like this, why not think of a WTC final in the
future?” Shanto added.
Shanto believes the team’s previous away victories — including a memorable win in Mount
Maunganui against New Zealand — will give his side belief as they begin another round of
international red-ball cricket.
“Away wins boost confidence. We know we can do it, and now we need to turn that belief into
consistent results,” he said.
The Bangladesh captain also hinted that the team has made strategic plans for the tour,
particularly regarding how to play spin in Sri Lankan conditions — something they will need to
get right in order to challenge the hosts.
After the Sri Lanka tour, Bangladesh will host South Africa for two Tests in October, followed by
a two-match Test series against New Zealand at home in November. These fixtures will be part
of the same WTC cycle.
As Najmul Hossain Shanto settles into his role with a clearer mandate and timeframe, the focus
will now shift to whether Bangladesh can convert plans into performances — both away and at
home.
The journey begins in Galle, but the bigger picture stretches far beyond.