Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto was understandably delighted after leading his side to a historic nine-wicket Test victory over Australia in Darwin.
Twenty-three years after Bangladesh’s previous Test tour of Australia, Shanto believes the landmark win is more than just another match result, calling it the biggest achievement in Bangladesh cricket across all formats.
“Across all formats, this is Bangladesh’s biggest win so far,” Shanto said.
“I am very happy. I am proud of myself and the way the boys played. We have worked very hard,” he added.
Shanto also credited the changing mindset of Bangladesh’s fast bowlers as one of the key reasons behind the team’s progress. He believes the attitude towards Test cricket among the pacers has changed significantly in recent years.
“Five years ago, our fast bowlers did not want to play Test cricket. Now they want to play Tests, they want to perform and they want to become world-class. That is their mindset now,” Shanto said.
He also highlighted the role of experienced players such as Mushfiqur Rahim and Mominul Haque in encouraging the younger members of the squad to play more Test cricket and embrace the format.
