Najmul Hossain Resigns as Bangladesh Test Captain Following Sri Lanka Defeat

Najmul Hossain has resigned from his position as Bangladesh Test captain, following the team's recent defeat to Sri Lanka.

Najmul Hossain Shanto was recently stripped off ODI captaincy © AFP

The announcement came after Bangladesh suffered an innings and 78-run loss to Sri Lanka in Colombo on Saturday. Speculation had been circulating that Najmul Hossain might not continue in the role.

During the post-match press conference, Najmul stated, "I have an announcement to make. I am stepping down from the Bangladesh Test captaincy. I don't want to continue as captain in this format... this is not a personal matter. It is entirely for the betterment of the team, and I believe this will help the team."

Najmul further explained his belief that Bangladesh does not need separate captains for each format of the game. He highlighted that Mehidy Hasan was recently appointed as the ODI captain, and Najmul himself had previously stepped down as T20I captain.

He elaborated, "Over the last few years, I have had the opportunity to be in this dressing room, and I don't feel it is logical to have three captains for three formats... In my view, having three captains will be difficult for the team. So, for the betterment of the team, I am stepping down."

Najmul also addressed potential concerns about his decision, stating, "If the cricket board feels they will continue with three captains in three formats, that will be their decision. I just hope people don't see this as a personal issue... I want to make it clear again: this is for the betterment of the team. There is nothing personal here."

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