Najmul Hossain, the captain of Bangladesh for the Test and ODI matches, stated that he wished to step down from the position because he felt overburdened by leading the team in all three forms. When he was given the long-term position, Najmul Hossain, who was named captain of Bangladesh until the 2025 Champions Trophy, advised the board to think about giving their next captain both responsibility and importance.
When Najmul Hossain replaced Shakib Al Hasan in the 2023 World Cup matches against India and Australia, the world saw firsthand his leadership abilities. After the disastrous campaign and Shakib’s absence due to an eye condition, the board chose to name Najmul Hossain as the nation’s captain across all formats.
Najmul Hossain had a mixed career as a leader because, in November 2023, Bangladesh won their first Test match against New Zealand at home. The following month, they defeated New Zealand in their own backyard in their first ODI and T20I matches, something they had not done before despite visiting New Zealand since 2007 to play white-ball cricket.
His greatest accomplishment, though, came in Pakistan when they used a new strategy to defeat the hosts in a two-match Test series in August, making history with a clean sweep. It was also maybe their largest Test series victory to date. They were humiliated in every match of the five-ODI series during the ensuing catastrophic tour of India.
Given that their head coach Chandika Hathurusingha faced criticism following the appointment of new BCB president Faruque Ahmed, who publicly expressed his displeasure with the Sri Lankan and ultimately fired him, many believed that the board’s shift had an effect.
“I don’t think there were many differences; for example, the dressing room in India was very close, and it was good in Pakistan. To some degree, and I can’t deny that (because of the management change), it can happen, but I don’t want to use that as an excuse for why we didn’t play well in India,” he remarked.
“I believe that the game involves a lot of mental processes, yet we were at ease when we played in India and Pakistan. The atmosphere in the dressing room was pleasant, and while it is normal for things to change because of the national situation, I don’t believe it affected the dressing room in any way. “That’s not how I think,” he added.
“It is crucial that these kinds of things—the coach being fired—don’t surface during a series. At the end of the day, everyone wants Bangladesh to succeed, whether they are journalists or players, so we shouldn’t talk about such things and journalists in particular shouldn’t ask those kinds of questions. These kinds of conversations can affect you as a human, and it was challenging to decide whether the coach would stay or not. There was also a trust issue among the players, such as whether the coach would stay after two days or not, and we don’t know if you’re taking this into account. “That was definitely challenging,” he remarked.
For the first time since 2006, Najmul Hossain led Bangladesh to the second round of the T20 World Cup in 2024. However, after the tournament, Cricbuzz reported that Najmul Hossain resigned as captain of the shortest format after the South Africa series was overturned following a lengthy meeting with BCB president Faruque Ahmed.
“To be honest, I found all three formats challenging. I was scoring fairly well in T20 cricket, so it’s not like I was under pressure to bat, but my strike-rate was poor. I wanted to continue enjoying my batting, so I decided to give up T20s and hand it to someone else because switching between forms felt a little stressful in all three,” Najmul Hossain remarked.
“As captain, I always believe that this squad belongs to me and that I will assume responsibility for it in all three formats. Regardless of the team’s performance, I am ultimately responsible. My decision-making was poor at one time; I wasn’t receiving what I wanted, but I subsequently learnt that I was doing everything, so there was a misunderstanding. This misinterpretation is what caused me to not enjoy being captain.
The discussion with the BCB boss, according to Najmul Hossain, helped him see things more clearly and was a major factor in his decision to stay as captain.
“I had a lengthy conversation with him, and he provided a clear explanation. I also revealed my issue, as well as my desires and thoughts, and we had a fruitful conversation about it. The president viewed everything favourably, and he persuaded me with clear explanations. It was a worthwhile conversation, and I learnt a lot thereafter.
It is known that Faruque gave Najmul Hossain complete control over leading the team, and the southpaw claims that he mostly fulfilled his pledge.
“As far as honouring the promise is concerned, I would estimate it is close to 80 to 90 percent so far, and to be honest, I don’t have any constraints when it comes to making requests. I hope it continues to be this way.
Najmul Hossain went on to say that he has not yet had a conversation with the board regarding leadership and that he would like to see the next leader, whether or not it is him, have greater power and importance.
“The board hasn’t discussed this with me, but they have the last say in the matter. As a captain, I have done my best to contribute thus far. I had a good experience as captain, but the cricket board will make the final choice, and I will respect that,” he said. “I think the board will make a decision shortly.
“I believe that whoever is captain, whether it be me or someone else, should be handed the position for the long haul because the 2027 World Cup is already in the future. I believe that every team in the world follows the tradition that a captain controls the outcome on the pitch. Since the cricket board chooses the captain because they believe in him, I believe that he should be given top attention in this situation.
I believe that if the captain is not performing well or helping his team win, he will leave, claiming that someone else is more qualified for the squad. As a result, I believe the captain ought to have greater power, similar to that of the other major teams in the globe that I have witnessed or that you may all be familiar with.
“In the end, the captain observes from close quarters and subsequently from the coach in the dressing room what he is having trouble with and what he needs on the pitch. Our president and the chairman of the cricket organisation are coming from the pitch, so I’m hoping the board will give it some thought. So, anyone they think is capable should be allowed this freedom. The captain may then lead the Bangladeshi squad to greater heights,” he said.
It is unclear if BCB would keep Najmul Hossain on board in the days ahead. In the meanwhile, the board must choose their new head coach, Phil Simmons, who took Hathurusingha’s place after his contract expired with the Champions Trophy.
Najmul Hossain appeared to be impressed with the former West Indian opener, and if their contracts as coach and captain are extended, the two are probably going to collaborate.
“Working with Simmons is enjoyable, and he is quite quiet and composed. He also does well in terms of planning. “What matters most is that he assigns each cricket player a distinct role,” Najmul Hossain stated. “I think he views all cricket players equally, and he never conveys the idea that he is a big player or refers to them as senior or junior players. He enjoys working with him and is a team player,” he continued.
India
