Bangladesh skipper Najmul Shanto has submitted his resignation letter as captain and has expressed his desire to step down from leadership in all three formats following the ongoing series against South Africa.
On this occasion, the situation seemed more awkward when Najmul Hossain Shanto skipped the pre-match conference in Chattogram which fueled the rumours surrounding his future as captain.
Shanto’s absence has raised speculations as journalists were eager to hear from him in light of his rumoured resignation. However, Taijul Islam attended the press conference instead of him.
Taijul Islam answered several questions related to the match and also addressed the matter with diplomacy. he stated that neither the players nor himself are included in the management decisions regarding captaincy or coaching.
“I really don’t have the answer to the question [Shanto leaving captaincy]. Me or other players are not involved in management or board meetings. We are not involved in deciding who will be the captain or coach,” he said.
Taijul Islam further added that if given the opportunity to take the captaincy he is all set to take the responsibility of the Test Unit.
“As I have been playing for 10 years, I think I’m fully ready,” Taijul concluded the press meeting with a big smile.
On October 26, Najmul revealed that he was unwilling to continue as Bangladesh captain and informed his decision to the Board.
A BCB official said, “Yes, he informed us that he is not ready to lead the side after the South Africa series.”
Najmul confirmed the same by elaborating on his decision to leave the leadership role. “Let’s see what happens (as far as leading Bangladesh is concerned) because I am still waiting to hear it from the president (BCB),” he said.
During his captaincy tenure, Najmul led Bangladesh in nine Tests, winning three and losing six, including a historic series win over Pakistan. In ODIs, he captained nine matches with three wins and six losses, while securing 10 victories in 24 T20 matches.
Bangladesh suffered a seven-wicket victory in the first test against South Africa at home and is set to play their second match starting on October 29 at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.
