Shanto to step down from captaincy after South Africa series: Report

Bangladesh's all-format captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, is expected to step down from his leadership role following the conclusion of the ongoing home Test series against South Africa.

Appointed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) as the captain across all formats in February 2024, Najmul was initially set to lead the team through the upcoming Champions Trophy next year. However, he has informed the board of his intention to relinquish the captaincy and is awaiting approval from BCB president Faruque Ahmed, who is currently abroad and expected to return soon.

Bangladesh are currently playing against South Africa in a two-match Test series, and according to a report from Cricbuzz, Shanto will step down as Bangladesh's captain after the second Test.

A top BCB official confirmed the news to Cricbuzz, saying, "Yes, he informed us that he is not ready to lead the side after the South Africa series." Najmul himself commented, "Let's see what happens regarding leading Bangladesh, as I am still waiting to hear from the president (BCB)."

Efforts are being made by a senior BCB director to persuade Najmul to reconsider his decision, although it appears unlikely that he will change his mind. Initially, Najmul had planned to step down from the T20 captaincy following the 2024 T20 World Cup but later decided to resign from the captaincy across all formats.

Najmul's tenure has faced criticism due to a series of poor results. Should he ultimately decline to continue as captain after the ongoing Test series against South Africa, the BCB is considering appointing Mehidy Hasan as captain for Tests and ODIs, with Towhid Hridoy likely to lead the T20 side.

Under Najmul's leadership, Bangladesh played 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. In T20Is, he led the team in 24 games, securing ten victories.