Shanto steps down as captain, criticizing Bulbul’s flawed policies

Sports Desk

Najmul Hossain Shanto has announced his resignation as the captain of Bangladesh’s Test team. Following the innings and 74-run defeat against Sri Lanka in Colombo, Shanto declared in a press conference today that his decision was not personal but aimed at the betterment of the team. In doing so, he also criticized Aminul Islam Bulbul’s board policies.

Shanto stated, “I have an announcement. I am stepping down from the responsibility of Bangladesh’s Test captaincy. I no longer wish to continue leading in this format.”

Explaining his abrupt decision, Shanto emphasized, “I want to make it clear to everyone that this is not due to personal reasons. I have taken this decision keeping the team’s improvement in mind. I believe this will only benefit the team.”

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had appointed Shanto as the Test captain until 2026. He was also the ODI captain. Before leaving for Sri Lanka, Shanto was aware that he remained the ODI captain, as confirmed in his last press conference in Dhaka. However, on the same day, without consulting him, BCB replaced Shanto with Mehidy Hasan Miraz as the ODI captain, leaving him frustrated.

Today, Shanto remarked, “The policy of having three captains for three formats is wrong. It may seem right to BCB, but I think it’s a mistake. That’s why I am stepping down from captaincy.”

Currently, Miraz leads the ODI team, Litton Das captains the T20I side, and Shanto was the Test captain, resulting in three captains for three formats—a structure Shanto opposed.