After drew first Test, Najmul Hossain Shanto says, ‘I only want to contribute, not worry about criticism’

The squad was rescued from challenging circumstances and moved into more comfortable positions by captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, who led the team from the front and scored hundreds in both innings. Bangladesh finished the first Test match at Galle with a number of positives after Sri Lanka held them to a draw.

Prior to the series, Najmul Hossain had only averaged 29.14 in Tests over the previous 12 months. He overcame his lean patch, nevertheless, by making important technical changes. The fourth batsman disclosed that he had a well-defined strategy for dealing with the Sri Lankan attack and decided to disregard external feedback.

“With my hundreds, I am really content. It was well-prepared. Prior to going on this tour, I worked on several technical aspects of my batting. I am also aware of the threats posed by the opposition. I had a strategy. I don’t want to give away too much because I still have one match left. I’m very thrilled since I knew exactly what I wanted to achieve. There will always be debates and criticism, but what matters most is how I can help the squad, Najmul Hossain stated.

Najmul Hossain made it clear that he doesn’t care about what people think of him or what they think of him; he just wants to enjoy the game.

“It is satisfying knowing I made an effort to contribute as best I could, regardless of whether my work ethic and intentions were correct. I try to better myself every day instead of paying attention to what other people think. It matters more whether I am having fun playing cricket or if I can help the team. “I don’t care about what people think of me,” he continued.

Mushfiqur Rahim’s 200 against Sri Lanka at Galle itself in 2013 was surpassed by Shanto’s 273 runs in the game, which created a new record for the highest run total by a Bangladesh captain in a Test.