For a long time it's happening to us: Shanto on Bangladesh's batting collapse
While Bangladesh recently made headlines with a historic 2-0 Test series win over Pakistan on their home soil, the team’s fortunes have since plummeted.
Bangladesh all-format skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto expressed frustration with the top-order batters following another dismal performance in the Chattogram Test. Adding to this, ahead of the second Test, it emerged that Shanto might be considering stepping down from captaincy.
While Bangladesh recently made headlines with a historic 2-0 Test series win over Pakistan on their home soil, the team's fortunes have since plummeted. Consecutive defeats to India in Chennai and Kanpur, followed by further losses in the T20I series, have seemingly added pressure on Shanto. The latest setback came against South Africa in Mirpur and then in Chattogram, where Bangladesh crumbled on a batting-friendly pitch.
Speaking at the press conference at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium after an innings and 273-run defeat, Shanto pointed out that batting collapses were not new. "Not just these two innings," he said. "For a long time it's happening to us. In Test cricket, if you don't have top-order partnerships, it makes life really difficult for the batters coming later."
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Despite the setbacks, Shanto maintains he enjoys the role of captain, though his intentions to relinquish the T20I leadership were recently reported, with indications that he may want to step down across formats. He explained, "While I was batting out there today, not once I was thinking that I was the captain... I watch the ball and bat and enjoy my batting."
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) held discussions about Shanto's future in a recent meeting, with some directors acknowledging the difficulty of reversing a decision if Shanto were resolute. BCB president Faruque Ahmed confirmed he was in Chattogram to address the matter, stating, "If you think he is talented, you have to bring him back and have to know what happened… if someone is unwilling to continue and it's always in his head... there are many elements at work."
While Shanto is yet to make a final decision, a conversation with the BCB president is expected soon, which will likely bring clarity on his future as captain.
