Najmul Hossain Shanto Steps Down from Test Captaincy — Here’s Why He Made the Decision

Speculations were swirling ahead of the second Test against Sri Lanka that Najmul Hossain Shanto might step down from Test captaincy. Following Bangladesh’s innings defeat in the Colombo Test, Shanto confirmed the rumors by announcing his resignation from the role.

At the post-match press conference on Saturday, Shanto stated:

“I have an announcement — I am stepping down from the responsibility of leading Bangladesh in Test cricket. I no longer wish to continue as the Test captain.”

Shanto clarified that the decision wasn’t sudden and was taken with the greater interest of the team in mind.

“I want to make it very clear that this is not a personal decision. I believe this step is for the good of the team. I genuinely think it’s difficult for one player to lead in all three formats. I’m stepping aside solely to benefit the team.”

He further revealed that he had communicated this decision to the BCB a few days ago, well before the conclusion of the series.

In the span of just a few months, Shanto has relinquished captaincy in all three formats. He had earlier stepped down voluntarily from the T20I captaincy, citing a desire to focus on his batting. In ODIs, the board replaced him with Mehidy Hasan Miraz as captain, a decision BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul later clarified.

“Shanto’s ODI captaincy was not taken away. It was a collective decision by the board, and Shanto himself accepted it with a team-first mindset,” said Bulbul.

With the burden of leadership now lifted, Najmul Hossain Shanto has only one goal ahead — to prove himself with the bat. The focus now shifts to whether he can rediscover his form and consistency as a specialist batter without the added pressure of captaincy.