Bangladesh has named the talented batsman Najmul Hossain Shanto as their full-time captain for all formats of the game.
In a recent meeting at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced that opener Najmul Hossain Shanto would be taking on the captaincy role across all three formats. This decision comes after Shakib Al Hasan led the team in the ODI World Cup 2023 following Tamim Iqbal’s resignation as captain.
Additionally, the BCB has made key appointments, with Gazi Ashraf Hossain becoming the chief selector and Hannan Sarkar joining as a selector.
“We discussed at length about captaincy… The board has decided to appoint Nazmul Hossain Shanto as captain for all three formats for this year,” youth and sports minister and BCB president Najmul Hassan Papon was quoted as saying by The Daily Star.
Notably, Najmul Hossain Shanto had previously captained Bangladesh in the ODI and T20I series against New Zealand in December 2023. The team showed a commendable performance on the tour, securing a win in one out of three ODIs and leveling the T20I series at 1-1.
Last year, Shanto took charge of the Bangladesh cricket team in both home and away series against New Zealand when the regular captain Shakib Al Hasan was unavailable. The 25-year-old has valuable experience leading the Bangla Tigers in all three formats of international cricket. Under Shanto’s captaincy in 11 matches across formats, Bangladesh secured victories in three games, faced defeat in seven, and one match concluded with no result.
Notably, Bangladesh achieved historic wins under Shanto’s leadership, clinching a T20I and an ODI on New Zealand soil for the first time in December 2023. Looking ahead, Shanto’s first official stint as the full-time skipper will be in the upcoming multi-format series at home against Sri Lanka, set to begin next month. The series will feature three T20Is, three ODIs, and a couple of Tests, marking an important challenge for Shanto and his team.
Papon further said that Shakib-al-Hasan, who is now a member of the parliament, was still their ‘Number 1 choice for captaincy’. The board had to make a change due to uncertainty surrounding the all-rounder’s availability caused by his eye problems.
Najmul Hossain Shanto, with 95 international matches under his belt for Bangladesh, boasts a total of 3253 runs at an average of 29.84. His impressive record includes seven centuries and 14 half-centuries, with a highest score of 163 runs. Shanto is geared up to play a pivotal role in steering Bangladesh back on the path to success.
