Nazmul Hossain Shanto was the talk of the town in Bangladesh cricket at the beginning of last month. There were rumours that he would step down as Test captain. Shanto made that rumour a reality at the end of the Test series against Sri Lanka (June 28). He announced his resignation from the Test captaincy after losing the second and final Test of the series by an innings.
Since then, discussions and questions have been going around – who will be the new captain of the Test team. Recently, Taijul Islam has also expressed interest in becoming the captain. Besides, the names of Mehedi Hasan Miraj and Liton Das are being heard more. Former Bangladesh captain and selector Habibul Bashar Sumon thinks – it is better to give the responsibility of the Test captain for two years.
In this regard, Bashar said, “The first thing is, whoever I give the captaincy, I will give it to him for at least two years. So, whoever I give it to, I will give it some thought. Captaincy is not a place for testing. If he gets a little longer after becoming the captain, he will be able to plan for the team. Everyone in the team needs to know that he is our captain. It will not be good if I give the captaincy to whoever for a short period of time.”
He further said, ‘We have several people in the race to become captain. Miraz is one, Liton is one – Taijul also plays Tests regularly. I think whoever we give the captaincy will not make much difference. But the most important thing is that whoever gets the captaincy, he should be given it for a long time. The thinking should be like this. It is not like we bring someone in, then see – if he doesn’t do well, we change him again. We should not think like this.’
Accordingly, statistics say that Shant is the most successful captain of Bangladesh in Tests so far. His success rate is 28.57 percent with four wins, one draw and nine losses in 14 Tests. Shakib Al Hasan is next. Under him, Bangladesh has won four and lost 15 in 19 Tests. The success rate is 21.05 percent. Apart from this, Mushfiqur Rahim has won 20.58 percent of the matches (seven wins, nine draws and 18 losses in 34 Tests).
FAQ
Why did Najmul Hossain Shanto step down as Bangladesh’s Test captain?
Shanto stepped down due to personal reasons and possibly to focus on his individual performance, though the official reason hasn’t been fully disclosed.
Who are the top candidates to become the next Test captain of Bangladesh?
The leading names in the captaincy race are Taijul Islam, Liton Das, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
What makes Taijul Islam a strong contender for captaincy?
Taijul is one of Bangladesh’s most experienced Test bowlers and is respected for his calm temperament and consistency in the longer format.
Why is Liton Das being considered for the Test captaincy?
Liton Das has leadership experience, having captained Bangladesh in previous matches, and is one of the team’s most dependable batters.
