BCB convinces Najmul to continue as Test captain
The Bangladesh Cricket Board announced on Saturday (November 1) that Najmul Hossain Shanto will continue as the Test Captain until the end of the 2025-2027 ICC World Test Championship Cycle.
Najmul initially quit as Test captain after the Sri Lanka series and was reluctant to return to the hot seat when he was offered the chance. But he has now changed his mind after the newly formed four-man shadow-committee of the BCB cricket operations convinced him to continue.
Though Nazmul Abedeen Fahim is the chairman of the Cricket Operations department at the BCB, in the recent past the board's top brass decided to form a shadow committee to oversee the activities of the committee led by Nazmul. The members of the committee are; Aminul Islam, Faruque Ahmed, Khaled Mashud Pilot and Abdur Razzaq Raj.
Shanto, who first took over Test captaincy in 2023, has so far led Bangladesh in 14 Test matches, overseeing a period of steady development and competitiveness in the longest format of the game.
BCB President Md Aminul Islam said the decision reflects the board's confidence in the 27-year old batter's leadership and his vision for Bangladesh's red-ball cricket: "Shanto has shown composure, commitment and a deep understanding of Test cricket. Under his leadership, we have seen growth and belief in the team. The Board feels that continuity in leadership will serve us well as we move forward in this new Test Championship cycle."
Expressing his appreciation, Najmul Hossain Shanto said: "I feel truly honoured to continue leading the Bangladesh Test team and I am very grateful to the Board for the faith and trust they have shown in my captaincy.
"Captaining my country in Test cricket is the greatest pride of my life. I will do my utmost to repay the responsibility that has been entrusted to me.
"It is a joy to lead a team that has so much talent and potential, and I believe we have an exciting and positive season ahead. We are looking forward to the upcoming series against Ireland later this month, which marks the start of a busy and important period for Bangladesh Test cricket."
