Shanto likely to step down as Bangladesh captain after SA Test series

Dhaka: Bangladesh’s all-format captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is likely to step down from the leadership role after the conclusion of the ongoing home Test series against South Africa. The Bangladesh Cricket Board had appointed Najmul as captain across formats for a year in February 2024, with plans for him to lead the team in the Champions Trophy next year. However, Najmul has informed the board of his decision to step down and is awaiting approval from board president Faruque Ahmed, who is currently abroad and expected to return soon. “Yes, he informed us that he is not ready to lead the side after the South Africa series,” Cricbuzz quoted a top BCB official as saying. Najmul confirmed the same with elaborating on his decision to leave the leadership role. “Let’s see what happens (as far as leading Bangladesh is concerned) because I am still waiting to hear it from the president (BCB),” he said. A senior BCB director is attempting to persuade Najmul to reconsider his decision to step down as captain, though a reversal appears unlikely at this point, the report said. Following the 2024 T20 World Cup, Najmul initially planned to resign from T20 captaincy, but later decided to quit as captain across all formats. Najmul’s leadership has recently faced criticism due to a prolonged period of poor results. A BCB official mentioned that if Najmul ultimately declines to continue as captain after the ongoing Test series against South Africa, the board may consider appointing Mehidy Hasan as captain for Tests and ODIs, with Towhid Hridoy likely to lead in T20s. During his tenure, Najmul led Bangladesh in nine Tests, winning three and losing six, highlighted by a historic series win over Pakistan. In ODIs, he captained in nine matches with three wins and six losses. In T20Is, he led the team in 24 games, securing 10 victories. –IANS