Shanto retained as Bangladesh Test captain

Bangla Press Desk: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Saturday confirmed that Najmul Hossain Shanto will continue as the captain of the Bangladesh Test team until the end of the 2025–2027 ICC World Test Championship cycle.

In an official statement, BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul said the decision reflects the Board’s trust in the 27-year-old’s leadership and long-term vision for Bangladesh’s red-ball cricket.

“Shanto has shown composure, commitment, and a deep understanding of Test cricket. Under his leadership, we have seen growth and belief within the team. The Board feels that continuity in leadership will serve us well as we move forward in this new Test Championship cycle,”
Bulbul said in the release.

Shanto, who first took charge of the Test side in 2023, has so far captained Bangladesh in 14 matches, overseeing a phase of gradual progress and competitiveness in the longest format.

Under his captaincy, Bangladesh have secured four Test victories, making Shanto the joint second-most successful Test captain in the country’s history alongside Shakib Al Hasan. Mushfiqur Rahim tops the list with seven wins as skipper.

In terms of matches led, Shanto’s 14 Tests rank him fifth overall among Bangladesh captains — behind Mushfiqur Rahim (34), Shakib Al Hasan (19), Habibul Bashar (18), and Mominul Haque (17).

Earlier, following Bangladesh’s 1-0 series defeat in Sri Lanka in June, Shanto had announced his decision to step down from the Test captaincy. 

BP/SP