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Will Najmul Hossain Shanto return as Bangladesh's Test captain?
26 Oct 2025

Former Bangladesh national cricket team captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has turned down an offer from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to return as Test skipper.

A source within the board confirmed the development to Cricbuzz.

The decision comes after a long conversation between BCB cricket operation chairman Nazmul Abedin and Najmul, following Bangladesh's third ODI against West Indies at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on October 23.

Najmul not interested in leading at the moment
Reluctance

During the conversation, Abedin urged Najmul to reconsider his decision.

However, a BCB official later confirmed that he is not interested in leading at the moment and has informed them of his decision.

The Test captaincy position was left vacant after Najmul's departure following the Test series against Sri Lanka.

Bangladesh is now on the lookout for a suitable leader for their Test squad.

T20I skipper Litton Kumar Das in contention
Candidates

The BCB is reportedly considering current T20I skipper Litton Kumar Das to fill the void.

They are awaiting his consent as Bangladesh prepares for a two-match Test series against Ireland, starting November 11 in Sylhet.

Current ODI skipper Mehidy Hasan, who had shown interest in leading the Test squad, is unlikely to get the role after his ODI captaincy came under scrutiny due to poor performance.

Aminul Islam addresses captaincy speculations
Flexibility

BCB president Aminul Islam recently said there is no hard and fast rule on captaincy.

He emphasized that several discussions will take place among the board, selectors, and top coaching staff to identify the most suitable candidate for Test cricket.

The chosen player must also agree to take on the role.

This flexible approach could open doors for other potential candidates like Taijul Islam and Mominul Haque.

Here are his leadership stats
Stats

As per ESPNcricinfo, Shanto led Bangladesh in 14 Tests since first taking over the charge in 2023.

He claimed just four wins in this period as the Tigers lost nine matches under him.

The southpaw scored 906 runs at 36.24 in this period, including three tons and a couple of fifties.

Overall, he has compiled 2,189 Test runs at an average of 32.19 (100s: 7, 50s: 5).