Najmul Hossain Resigns as Bangladesh Test Skipper After Sri Lanka Defeat

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

Najmul Hossain Shanto was recently stripped off ODI captaincy © AFP

Najmul made the announcement at the post-match press conference. He stated, "I am stepping down from the Bangladesh Test captaincy... This is not a personal matter. It is entirely for the betterment of the team, and I believe this will help the team."

He further clarified his decision, emphasizing the need to streamline leadership roles within the team. Najmul expressed his belief that Bangladesh doesn't require separate captains for each format of the game.

Recently, Mehidy Hasan was appointed as the ODI captain, while Najmul had previously stepped down from his role as T20I captain.

Najmul explained, "Over the last few years...I don't feel it is logical to have three captains for three formats. This is completely my personal opinion... In my view, having three captains will be difficult for the team. So, for the betterment of the team, I am stepping down."

He also addressed potential speculation surrounding his decision. "If the cricket board feels they will continue with three captains in three formats, that will be their decision... I want to make it clear again: this is for the betterment of the team. There is nothing personal here."

Najmul confirmed that he had communicated his decision to the cricket operations department several days prior to the public announcement.