“Najmul Hossain Shanto has been officially named as the captain of the Bangladesh cricket team across all formats, effective immediately.”
The Bangladesh Cricket Board, in a decision made on Monday, appointed Najmul Hossain Shanto as the captain across all three formats for the upcoming year.
BCB president Nazmul Hasan disclosed this development following the board directors meeting held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
He highlighted the decision as a response to uncertainties surrounding Shakib al Hasan’s availability due to his ongoing eye issues.
“We have opted to name Najmul Hossain Shanto as captain across all formats.
He will lead the national team in the upcoming year,” stated Nazmul to reporters post-meeting.
“I have conversed with Shakib regarding his eye problem, which persists.
With uncertainties surrounding his participation in Sri Lanka and the impending World Cup, we deemed it wise not to take risks,” he explained.
“Our decision to appoint Shanto (Najmul) across all formats stems from the uncertainty regarding Shakib’s availability,” he further clarified.
Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha echoed support for Shanto’s long-term captaincy, citing his impressive leadership in recent stand-in roles during Shakib’s absence.
Shakib himself has expressed uncertainty regarding his future as captain.
Amidst these changes, the BCB also announced alterations to the national selection panel.
Former national captain Gazi Ashraf Hossain was appointed as the chief selector for the next two years.
This move saw Minhajul Abedin and Habibul Bashar likely relinquishing their positions in the selection panel, with only Abdur Razzak retained.
Additionally, former cricketer Hannan Sarkar joins Hossain and Razzak in the selectors’ panel.
In other developments, senior batter Tamim Iqbal opted out of central contracts, a decision which the BCB is set to discuss with him in the coming days.
Notable exclusions from the contracts include Ebadot Hossain, while Taskin Ahmed has requested not to be considered for Test cricket, resulting in his exclusion from the Test contract category.
Young talents Towrid Hridoy and Tanzim Sakib earned contracts in the shorter formats, while Mosaddek Hossain lost his spot.
The BCB has received recommendations from a special committee formed to assess the team’s disappointing performance in the World Cup, indicating further changes and evaluations within the cricketing structure.
Leave a Reply