Bangladesh’s Prominent batter Najmul Hossain Shanto has been permanently appointed as the men’s captain for all three formats by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). This decision was made during the BCB’s ninth Board of Directors Meeting. Additionally, former captain Gazi Ashraf Hossain has been named as the chief selector, while former international cricketer Hannan Sarkar joins as a selector, replacing Minhajul Abedin and Habibul Bashar, respectively.
Bangladesh’s Performance:
Hossain demonstrated commendable leadership during Bangladesh’s matches against New Zealand in late 2023, stepping up in the absence of regular skipper Shakib Al Hasan and other senior players.
Despite the team’s overall series loss, Bangladesh secured their first-ever ODI victory against New Zealand, ending the series with a 2-1 result, while the T20Is ended in a 1-1 draw. Additionally, under his captaincy, Bangladesh achieved a historic 1-1 draw in the Test series at home.
Despite a mixed overall record of three wins and seven losses as captain, Hossain displayed proactive and composed leadership skills during the New Zealand tour. Notably, Bangladesh faced challenges with player availability in each match he led.
Coach Hints at Shanto’s Elevation after the New Zealand Series:
Bangladesh’s head coach, Chandika Hathurusinghe praises Shanto’s leadership and the team’s competitive spirit after the New Zealand tour.
He said,” The attitude of the players, this young group had no fear. They wanted to compete in the middle,” Hathurusingha said after the final T20I. “The other thing… the leadership of Shanto. Outstanding. He was tactically spot on, and very clear with the messages with the players, what he expects from them. And I thought we did the basics longer than before.”
He further added, “I think they [the Bangladesh selectors] will strongly think about that (on making him the permanent captain). Of course, it’s a board decision, but Shanto has shown enough evidence for them to take him seriously.”
His debut task entails leading the team in the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka starting on March 4.
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