Najmul Hossain Resigns as Bangladesh Test Skipper Following Sri Lanka Defeat

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

Najmul Hossain steps down after ODI captaincy change. © AFP

Najmul addressed the media after the match, stating, "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." He emphasized that the decision was not personal but rather "entirely for the betterment of the team."

He further explained his reasoning:

• Team Improvement: He believes this change will ultimately benefit the team's performance.
• Leadership Structure: Najmul expressed his belief that Bangladesh does not require separate captains for each of the three formats of cricket.
• Recent Changes: This decision follows the recent appointment of Mehidy Hasan as the ODI captain, and Najmul's earlier resignation 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," he stated.

Najmul also clarified that his decision was not influenced by the ODI captaincy change. "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 confirmed that he had informed the cricket operations department of his decision prior to the public announcement.