Najmul Hossain Shanto Steps Down as Bangladesh Test Captain Following Sri Lanka Defeat

Najmul Hossain Shanto resigns as Bangladesh Test captain after a heavy defeat to Sri Lanka, aiming to improve team dynamics.

Najmul Hossain Shanto has resigned as the Bangladesh Test captain following a significant defeat to Sri Lanka in the second Test at Colombo. The decision was announced during the post-match press conference, where Shanto emphasized that stepping down was for the betterment of the team.

Shanto, who took over the captaincy earlier this year, expressed his concerns about the current structure of having three different captains across formats. He believes this setup may not be optimal for the team's performance. Shanto's resignation comes shortly after Mehidy Hasan Miraz was appointed as the 50-over captain on June 12, with Litton Das leading the T20 squad.

Under Shanto's leadership, Bangladesh won four out of 14 Tests, losing nine. The latest defeat was a crushing innings-and-78-run loss to Sri Lanka. The match concluded on the fourth day when Sri Lanka needed less than six overs to take the final four wickets. Prabath Jayasuriya was instrumental, finishing with figures of 5-56, while Tharindu Ratnayake sealed the win by trapping Ebadot Hossain lbw.

This series marked the beginning of the new World Test Championship cycle, which runs until 2027. Sri Lanka's captain, Dhananjaya de Silva, praised his team's performance, highlighting the effective execution of plans by both bowlers and batters.

Shanto's departure raises questions about the future leadership of Bangladesh cricket, as the board considers whether to continue with the current multi-captain strategy or consolidate leadership roles.

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