On Monday, Bangladesh’s Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto announced that he had changed his mind and would now captain the Test team because he believed that the nation was greater than any one person.
Following his resignation as Test captain after the Test series against Sri Lanka, Cricbuzz had previously stated that Shanto was hesitant to return to the position. However, after speaking with Faruque Ahmed, the current vice-president of the board and former BCB chairman, Shanto changed his mind. Faruque’s decision was also significantly influenced by Abdur Razzak, the current national team director.
Prior to the Test series against Ireland, which is set to begin in Sylhet on November 11, Najmul acknowledged the reality and committed to leading the team once more till the conclusion of the ICC Test Championship cycle.
“The advise given by such senior authorities and former Bangladesh Cricket Board players is unquestionably beneficial to both the squad and me personally. Shanto told reporters at Sylhet on Monday, “I therefore fully respected that conversation.”
I also believed that, if I were to put it in one word, I should put the Bangladesh cricket team before myself. “I prioritized the team and ultimately made this choice,” he stated.
“During a few days in the middle of [my captaincy tenure], I wasn’t the captain. He remarked, “It was a good time; I enjoyed that time.”
The rationale [for my previous resignation] has been stated previously. However, I thought that the Cricket Board had really good communication with me. Following that, everyone had constructive and positive chats. I used to think that Bangladesh cricket was much greater than myself personally. Furthermore, the demands of the Bangladeshi team come before my own opinions,” he stated.
“I didn’t really mention many ‘problems.'” However, as I mentioned, a pleasant and constructive dialogue with the Cricket Board took place. We talked about how we can all work together to address the issues that could or are occurring as well as how to stop them from occurring altogether,” he stated.
“We all had great opinions about these issues from our own locations. He continued, “I am confident that the Cricket Board will completely support me in my goal of seeing the team progress in a very positive manner in the future.
Shanto, who opposed the idea of captaincy across formats, changed his mind and gave an explanation for why Mehidy Hasan and Litton Das should head the Test team while Litton Das would lead the ODI and T20I squads, respectively.
“Yes, I did have those feelings [against the three-captain system] at one point, and I had good reasons for it. As I mentioned before, however, there was a really constructive discussion with the Cricket Board about potential issues, how to address them, and how to avoid them altogether. Regarding those matters, we are quite clear,” Shanto stated.
“And I have every confidence that there won’t be any issues of that kind. I had excellent communication with the Cricket Board, as I mentioned. They will be available to assist in resolving these concerns if they arise. More significantly, the other two captains have excellent communication. Together, we discussed how to advance our team in each of the three forms and what we needed to work on. “The three of us have had this conversation,” he continued.
“The three of us are certain that we can lead the team to success in the manner that it requires. Therefore, there isn’t a communication gap. I am convinced because, as I previously stated, the Cricket Board will give me the support I need to allay worries about potential issues or the illogical nature of the three-format system. As previously stated, however, when such senior or former Cricket Board cricketers—who are now in positions of responsibility—make suggestions, they undoubtedly mean well. With that in mind, I’ve come back, and I have a feeling that good things are coming,” he said.
According to Shanto, the team is enjoying working under Mohammad Salahuddin, the senior assistant coach for the national team. Salahuddin is now on notice after leaving his position with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) due to family matters.
According to information obtained, the BCB has not yet accepted his letter of resignation and intends to speak with Salahuddin again.
At Monday’s pre-match press conference at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Shanto brought up the matter.
“Well, what he originally believed and did is entirely up to him, and I’m not really sure how much he communicated with the Cricket Board about it. Therefore, the Cricket Board and Salahuddin Sir himself are able to describe the nature of their discussions or the current circumstances,” he stated.
“Yes, I did speak with him personally. He remarked, “I hope we can have a positive talk in the future with the Cricket Board.
Although Shanto begs to differ, Salahuddin was recently accused of favoritism.
“I’m hoping for that. Nevertheless, I have thoroughly loved his work thus far. The fact that Sir attempts to treat each cricket player fairly and assigns them priority based on their skills and weaknesses is what matters most, Shanto added.
However, we frequently hear about gaps or the perception of bias held by many outsiders. However, I will admit that not all of this is accurate. All of us cricketers were content. He continued, “I think he did a great job at every chance he had, and I have enjoyed the series I was in recently.”
India
