Nazmul Hossain Shanto has stepped down as captain of Bangladesh’s Test team in the middle of the ongoing tour of Sri Lanka. His decision comes shortly after learning that he had been removed as ODI captain without prior consultation, despite being named skipper for both formats ahead of the series.
A shock announcement in Sri Lanka appears to have triggered Shanto’s decision. According to reports, the BCB informed him he was out as ODI captain only after the team’s arrival, without any prior discussion.
In what seems to be a direct response, the left-handed batter promptly told the board he was quitting the Test captaincy as well, formally ending his leadership role across both formats.
“He said he’s no longer interested,” a senior board official said when asked about the resignation.
BCB’s Attempt to Reverse the Decision
In a bid to change his mind, BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul sent cricket operations chairman Nazmul Abedeen Fahim to Sri Lanka. Fahim was asked to meet Shanto face-to-face and convince him to remain in the role at least until the end of the tour.
“Our president immediately requested Fahim bhai to fly to Sri Lanka and speak to him directly,” said a board official. “The goal was to discourage him from stepping down during a full tour.”
Despite the effort, Shanto remained firm in his decision.
Timing and Internal Tension
The timing of this announcement is the real story here. The board tried to keep things quiet, asking Shanto to hold off on going public until the team was back from Sri Lanka.
They were obviously worried about it becoming a huge distraction for the players still in the middle of a series.
Shanto declined that request too.
“You’ll have to ask Shanto,” said one BCB representative. “From the board’s side, we tried. But he said clearly, he’s no longer interested in continuing.”
Background on Leadership Roles
Shanto’s original move to step down from the T20 captaincy was supposed to be about easing his burden, not abandoning leadership entirely. He had made it clear he still wanted the job in Tests and ODIs.
So, when the board unceremoniously dropped him from one of those formats without notice, it appears to have been the final straw.
The result? A leadership vacuum at the BCB. They’re without a Test captain while the team is still out of the country, leaving a power void until they get back. But this isn’t just about one empty seat.
This entire saga exposes a deeper rot in the board’s management. It’s a textbook case of poor communication, and it screams instability from the top down.
