After Bangladesh’s heavy defeat against Sri Lanka in the second Test in Colombo, Najmul Hossain Shanto has decided to resign from his role as Test captain. The announcement came in the aftermath of an innings-and-78-run loss that sealed a 1-0 series defeat for Bangladesh.
While the timing suggests the decision may have been influenced by the disappointing result, being dismissed for just 133 in the second innings, it may not be solely due to that outcome. Speculation around Shanto’s position had been growing ever since Mehidy Hasan Miraz was surprisingly named ODI captain ahead of the Sri Lanka tour.
Reports indicated that Shanto had no prior knowledge of the change and had been preparing for the tour with a different understanding. The lack of communication reportedly took him by surprise, drawing criticism from journalists and social media critics toward the Bangladesh Cricket Board. Shanto steps down having guided Bangladesh to four Test wins during his captaincy, placing him behind only Mushfiqur Rahim, who holds the record with seven victories.
The BCB has not yet announced the name of the next Test captain of Bangladesh, and no name has yet come from the rumors either. How Bangladesh will react to this decision from Shanto and what will be the approaches for a new Test leadership are questions yet to be answered.