Najmul Hossain Shanto has informed the board of his decision to resign.© AFP
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 resign and is awaiting approval from board chairman Faruque Ahmed, who is currently abroad and expected to return soon.
“Yes, he has informed us that he is not ready to lead the team after the South Africa series,” Cricbuzz quoted a top BCB official as saying.
Najmul confirmed the same by further explaining his decision to leave the leadership role. “Let's see what happens (in terms of leading Bangladesh) because I am still waiting for the president's (BCB) response,” he said.
A senior BCB director is trying to convince Najmul to reconsider his decision to step down as captain, although a reversal seems unlikely at this point, the report said. After the 2024 T20 World Cup, Najmul initially planned to resign as T20 captain but later decided to quit as captain in all formats.
Najmul's leadership has recently come under criticism for a prolonged period of poor results. A BCB official said that if Najmul ultimately refuses to continue as captain after the ongoing Test series against South Africa, the board could consider appointing Mehidy Hasan as captain for Tests and ODIs, with Towhid Hridoy likely to take charge in T20s.
During his tenure, Najmul led Bangladesh in nine Tests, winning three and losing six, culminating in a historic victory over Pakistan. In ODIs, he captained in nine matches with three wins and six losses. In T20Is, he led the team in 24 matches and registered 10 wins.
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