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Bangladesh’s next Test match is yet another significant distraction. The headlines surrounding their last Test were dominated by Shakib Al Hasan’s farewell that wasn’t and the clumsy way that Chandika Hathurusinghe’s departure was handled, whereas the news of Shakib’s retirement was widely reported during the Test against India in Kanpur before this series. With a reluctant skipper, they will now play South Africa in Chattogram in the second Test match.
As if losing 1-0 at home wasn’t awful enough, the current state of affairs is far from ideal.
Bangladesh is also not very good at getting back up after losing a first Test match. Only eight years ago, when England was out, did they do it against a notable opponent. It will take a lot of work for them to straighten out, especially from that same reticent skipper, Najmul Hossain Shanto.
Shanto has communicated his desire to relinquish his captaincy in all formats to the BCB. He was appointed by the BCB just eight months ago. According to reports, he has stated that his own batting form is one of the reasons he is reluctant to continue. He has only scored one half-century in seven Test matches since February, averaging 20.92.
Since taking over as captain, Shanto’s performance has drastically declined. Earlier this year, he had stated that when he is batting, he can disengage from his leadership role. That has not been reflected in Shanto’s batting during the past eight months.
However, it began in a fairy tale form. In his debut Test match as captain, Shanto scored 105 runs in four hours against New Zealand in Sylhet last year, helping Bangladesh win by 150 runs. He was brought on as a stopgap when Litton Das was on paternity leave and then skipper Shakib got hurt. During the December white-ball tour to New Zealand later in the year, Shanto once again showed off his skills. He was supported by Hathurusinghe as the regular captain.
Then, however, a change occurred. Since March of this year, both his performance and Bangladesh’s outcomes have declined. Shanto was under pressure after their T20I series loss to the USA and their lacklustre T20 World Cup performance. This year’s Test series victory in Pakistan altered the situation once more, and although it may be reasonable to ignore the team’s subsequent performance in India, the pressure has returned with the Test loss to South Africa in Dhaka.
Shanto is only 26 years old, therefore he must find it difficult to cope with everything that is happening on the squad. It has been exhausting to follow the Shakib story since August, including his political ties, the murder charge, and his current inability to return to Bangladesh due to security concerns. The top cricket player in Bangladesh, Shakib, has been largely unprepared for two important Test series, but Shanto didn’t seem overly concerned about the political aspect of things.
Shanto was hired on a full-time basis by the BCB primarily to guide Bangladesh’s transition from the senior players’ period to the next. During the chaotic handoff between Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal during the 2023 ODI World Cup, Shanto was named vice-captain. He appeared to be the obvious pick because he was Bangladesh’s top hitter in 2023 and brought poise and calmness with him.
Shanto took over when Shakib was hurt. The other option was Litton, but the BCB claimed that Litton was hesitant to take the lead. Shanto and Litton appear to be speaking the same language now, after less than a year.
He might be persuaded not to resign by the BCB. Shanto’s long-time buddy Mehidy Hasan Miraz may be the front-runner to take over, at least in Test matches, if they are unable to. Meanwhile, Towhid Hridoy’s name is making the rounds for the T20I position. At this point, there isn’t an obvious contender for ODIs.
However, Hridoy is relatively new to the international scene, and Mehidy has only recently begun to make significant all-around contributions in the past 12 months. Do they possess the skills necessary to serve as Bangladesh’s captain for the long run, in any capacity? Discussions, arguments, and questions will all take place concurrently with the Chattogram Test. Perhaps for the final time, Shanto must lead the way.