Shanto quits as Tigers' Test skipper after innings defeat to Sri Lanka

Najmul Hossain Shanto has stepped down as Test captain following a heavy innings defeat to Sri Lanka in Colombo.
Bangladesh were beaten by an innings and 78 runs on the penultimate day of the second Test, resulting in a 1-0 series defeat, at the SSC on Saturday, report agencies.
Shanto announced his resignation shortly after the loss, relinquishing his last captaincy role for the Tigers.
Until recently, Shanto had led Bangladesh across all three formats. But he was replaced by Litton Das as T20I captain earlier this year, and on June 12, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) named Mehidy Hasan Miraz as the new ODI captain.
The left-handed batter led Bangladesh in 14 Test matches -- the fifth-most by any Bangladeshi captain. Under his leadership, the team won four matches. In terms of total wins, that places him as Bangladesh's second-most successful Test captain.
However, when considering win-loss ratio and win percentage among those who have led in more than one Test, Shanto's record stands as the best in Bangladesh's Test history.
Shanto's career in Tests began in December 2023 against New Zealand in Sylhet, where he led as stand-in for an injured Shakib Al Hasan.
In a memorable debut, Shanto smashed a century in the first innings, assisting the Tigers to a 150-run win for Bangladesh. He would go on to be appointed permanent captain soon after.
Despite those numbers, his captaincy had come under scrutiny during this series, particularly after the drawn first Test in Galle where his delayed declaration was criticised though he racked up centuries in either innings.
Shanto's resignation now opens the door for the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to consider new leadership options ahead of their next red-ball assignment -- a home Test series against Ireland in November, leaving the board with several months to make a decision.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Shanto confirmed that he had already informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) of his decision.
"I've made up my mind and communicated it to the board," Najmul said.
Shanto said he had already informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) of his decision, which he took to reduce the number of captains within the Bangladesh set-up (they had one for each format), before bringing it to the public during the post-match press conference in Colombo after the second Test.
"I have an announcement to make," Shanto told reporters after Bangladesh were beaten by an innings and 78 runs. "I am stepping down from the Bangladesh Test captaincy. I don't want to continue as captain in this format, and I want to give a clear message to everyone: this is not a personal matter. It is entirely for the betterment of the team, and I believe this will help the team. If the cricket board feels they will continue with three captains in three formats, that will be their decision."
"I just hope people don't see this as a personal issue or think I did this because I felt bad about the ODI captaincy snub," he said. "I want to make it clear again: this is for the betterment of the team. There is nothing personal here. I already informed the cricket operations department a few days back."
Under Shanto, Bangladesh won four out of 14 Tests. They started by beating New Zealand in Sylhet in November 2023 and peaked with a series win over Pakistan in August 2024. In Sri Lanka, Shanto became the first Bangladesh captain to hit two centuries in a Test match. He averaged 36.24 during his time leading the team which was a marked improvement from when he was just part of the ranks (29.83).
Shanto was first made a stop-gap captain in November 2023 following an injury to Shakib Al Hasan. He took over full-time in early 2024, the BCB giving him the reins across all formats for 12 months.
Bangladesh do not play Test cricket again until October, when they host Ireland, which gives the board some time to figure out who their new captain will be. Mehidy leads them in ODIs, Litton Das does so in T20Is. It is likely one of them will be tapped to perform the role in Tests too.