Najmul Hossain Resigns as Bangladesh Test Captain Following Sri Lanka Defeat

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

Najmul Hossain steps down after series loss © AFP

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Najmul Hossain stated, "I am stepping down from the Bangladesh Test captaincy. I don't want to continue as captain in this format... this is not a personal matter. It is entirely for the betterment of the team, and I believe this will help the team."

Najmul further explained his decision, indicating his belief that Bangladesh does not require separate captains for each format of the game. It is worth noting that Mehidy Hasan was recently appointed as the ODI captain. Najmul had previously stepped down as T20I captain.

He elaborated: "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."

Najmul also addressed potential speculation surrounding his motives: "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 communicated his decision to the cricket operations department several days prior to the public announcement.