Cricket

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has appointed Najmul Hossain Shanto as the captain for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan in Sharjah. The decision was made after a meeting between Shanto and BCB president Faruque Ahmed on Thursday evening, where Shanto expressed his desire to step down as Bangladesh's all-format captain.The BCB has not yet announced the squads for the subsequent tour of the West Indies, where Bangladesh will play two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20Is. However, Faruque has indicated that Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taskin Ahmed are the frontrunners for the captaincy role.The ODI squad for the Afghanistan series includes all three potential captains. Nahid Rana, a 22-year-old fast bowler, is the only uncapped player in the side. Rana has impressed with his pace and bounce in five Tests, taking 26 wickets at an average of 16.46 in ten List-A matches.The selectors have also recalled opener Zakir Hasan and left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed. Zakir has played only one ODI and 12 Tests, while Nasum has featured in 15 ODIs, including the 2023 World Cup in India.Anamul Haque, Taijul Islam, and Hasan Mahmud have been omitted from the squad. Mahmud is out due to a shoulder injury, while Shakib Al Hasan has voluntarily withdrawn from the series. Litton Das is also unavailable due to fever.The Bangladesh team will depart for Dubai in two groups on Saturday and Sunday. The three ODIs will be played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on November 6, 9, and 11.

Bangladesh's Test woes continue as they suffer a humiliating innings-and-273-run defeat against South Africa in Chattogram. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has identified the lack of top-order partnerships as the root cause of their batting struggles.The home side was bowled out twice in a total of 89 overs, with their match aggregate of 302 runs being the lowest by any team at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. South Africa, on the other hand, posted a mammoth 575 for 6 in the first two days.Bangladesh's batting implosion was evident on the third day, as they lost 14 wickets, including Mominul Haque's two dismissals in one session. The lower order has been providing some resistance, but Shanto believes it's not enough to compensate for the top-order failures."We have been batting like this for a long time," Shanto said. "If you don't get top-order partnerships, the rest of the batters will find it difficult in red-ball cricket. This was a good wicket. Even in Mirpur, we shouldn't have got out so quickly."Shanto acknowledged his own lack of runs as a contributing factor to the top-order collapses. He has scored just one fifty in his last 17 Test innings. "I have an important role as a top-order batter. I am supposed to score runs," he said. "It is not happening, and the worst thing is, I am getting out between 20 and 40."Despite the setbacks, Shanto remains optimistic about his captaincy. "I enjoy captaincy on the field," he said. "I never felt that I am the captain when I am batting."However, he admitted that distractions around the team, such as the discussions around his captaincy and the sacking of head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe, may have contributed to their poor performance. "Players have to adjust with these things, even though it is difficult," he said. "Still, it shouldn't be this bad."

Bangladesh's Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is set to relinquish his leadership role after the ongoing home series against South Africa. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had appointed Shanto as captain across all formats in February 2023, with the intention of him leading the team in the 2025 Champions Trophy. However, Shanto has informed the board of his decision to step down and is awaiting approval from BCB president Nazmul Hassan Papon."Yes, he informed us that he is not ready to lead the side after the South Africa series," a top BCB official told Cricbuzz.Shanto confirmed his decision, stating, "Let's see what happens (as far as leading Bangladesh is concerned) because I am still waiting to hear it from the president (BCB)."A senior BCB director is reportedly attempting to persuade Shanto to reconsider, but a reversal appears unlikely. Shanto had initially planned to step down as T20 captain after the 2024 T20 World Cup but later decided to quit as captain across all formats.Shanto's leadership has come under scrutiny due to a prolonged period of poor results. If he ultimately declines to continue as captain, the BCB may consider appointing Mehidy Hasan as captain for Tests and ODIs, with Towhid Hridoy likely to lead in T20s.During his tenure, Shanto led Bangladesh in nine Tests, winning three and losing six, including a historic series win over Pakistan. In ODIs, he captained in nine matches with three wins and six losses. In T20Is, he led the team in 24 games, securing 10 victories.

Bangladesh Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto expressed disappointment over the absence of star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan from the first Test against South Africa, which was expected to be Shakib's farewell match. However, Shanto emphasized the team's focus on the upcoming series.Shakib's absence stems from protests in Dhaka against his involvement in politics. The government advised against his arrival, citing security concerns. "It is unfortunate. It should have happened," said Shanto. "But we can't dwell on it. We have to concentrate on the two Tests."Shanto acknowledged the challenge of replacing Shakib, who has been a pivotal figure for Bangladesh. "It's tough to match him," he said. "He allowed us to play an extra batter or bowler. Now, the No. 7 spot becomes crucial."Mehidy Hasan Miraz is expected to step into Shakib's role. "Miraz has shown he can do it," said Shanto. "He's bowling and batting superbly. He's taking on more responsibility and has improved his batting."Uncapped left-arm spinner Hasan Murad has been called up to replace Shakib. Shanto praised Murad's first-class record and expressed confidence in his spin attack. "We have four quality spinners," he said. "Murad deserves his selection. Nayeem has also played well recently."Bangladesh enter the series after a 2-0 victory in Pakistan and a 2-0 defeat in India. Shanto believes the team can build on their recent performances. "We're confident," he said. "We have a good team and we're ready for the challenge."

Bangladesh's batting woes continue to haunt them as they struggle to consistently post competitive totals in T20 cricket. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has acknowledged the team's shortcomings, admitting that they lack the skills and mentality to score 180-plus runs on a regular basis.Shanto believes that the lack of high-scoring wickets in Bangladesh has contributed to their batting struggles. "We play on 140-150 wickets at home. Our batters don't know how to score 180 runs," he said. "I won't blame just the wickets, but we have to consider skills and mentality."The team's powerplay approach has also come under scrutiny, with the opening stands contributing only 69 runs in the last eight innings. Shanto emphasized the importance of a strong start, saying, "Powerplay is definitely a worry. The approach we talked about (before the game), it will be successful if we make a good start with the bat."Shanto defended his team's performance against India, saying, "We are a better team than this. We haven't done well in this format for a long time, but I don't believe we are such a bad team." However, he acknowledged the need for improvement, particularly in shot selection.The captain also praised Indian pacer Mayank Yadav, who made an impressive debut on Sunday. "He is a good bowler," Shanto said. "But we have some similar fast bowlers in the nets. I don't think we were too worried about (Mayank Yadav)."Bangladesh will need to address their batting issues if they want to compete with the top teams in T20 cricket. Shanto and his team have a lot of work to do, but they remain confident that they can turn things around.

Bangladesh's T20I series opener against India on Sunday exposed their batting deficiencies, as they failed to provide their bowlers with a competitive total to defend. The visitors' struggles with the bat were evident from the outset, as they managed a meager 39/2 after the powerplay.Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto acknowledged the team's shortcomings, particularly in the powerplay. "We didn't start well. In T20, the first six overs are important, but we didn't do well," he said. "The plan was to play positive cricket, but we had to manage some overs and how we wanted to approach it. Looks like we didn't have much plan."Bangladesh's tepid batting performance was compounded by India's aggressive approach with the ball. Arshdeep Singh's early strikes put the visitors on the back foot, and the Indian bowlers maintained the pressure throughout the innings.Mehidy Hasan Miraz's late cameo of 35* runs provided some respite for Bangladesh, but it was not enough to propel them to a competitive total. India's openers, Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer, made light work of the chase, reaching the target with more than eight overs to spare.Shanto emphasized the need for a more proactive approach in the second T20I. "We need to focus on rotating the strike. T20 is not only about hitting. If we keep wickets in hand, we can get a good score," he said. "We didn't score many runs. Rishad bowled well, and Fizz was also good, but we didn't have enough runs."Bangladesh's batting woes have been a recurring theme in recent times, and they will need to find a solution quickly if they want to compete against India in the remaining matches of the series.

India's bowlers made early inroads into Bangladesh's batting lineup on the rain-hit opening day of the second Test in Dhaka. Pacer Akash Deep impressed with his probing opening spell, while Ravichandran Ashwin removed the dangerous Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto.Despite overcast conditions and a delayed start due to overnight rain, India's bowlers maintained a consistent line and length. Akash Deep, bowling round the wicket to the left-handers, consistently hit the good length areas and got the ball to either shape away or come in with the angle.Bangladesh's openers, Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam, played cautiously against the initial bounce and seam movement. However, Akash Deep broke the partnership by inducing an edge from Hasan to Yashasvi Jaiswal. He soon sent back Shadman on a ball that came in and caught him in front of the wicket.Shanto, who has been in good rhythm, began with two shots to the fence but was trapped in front by Ashwin in the third over of the second session. The Bangladesh skipper reviewed the decision but to no avail.Seasoned Mominul Haque grew in confidence as he spent more time at the crease. He hit two boundaries off Akash in a single over and later hit an exquisite drive through mid-off. He raised Bangladesh's hundred with another four.Only nine overs were bowled in the second session when bad light stopped play even as the flood lights were on, forcing the players off the field. Light drizzle followed and soon it was pouring.With the weather forecast predicting further rain, it remains to be seen how much play will be possible on the remaining days of the Test match.

India Opts to Bowl First in Kanpur Test Against BangladeshIndia captain Rohit Sharma elected to bowl first after winning the toss in the first Test against Bangladesh at Green Park in Kanpur. The decision marked a departure from India's recent home Test strategy, as they had not chosen to bowl first since 2015.The toss was delayed by an hour due to a wet outfield caused by overnight rain. Rohit explained that the pitch had a slight softness and more grass than usual, which influenced his decision to bowl. He anticipated that India's three seamers, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Akash Deep, would exploit the conditions.Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto expressed a preference for batting first, despite the overcast conditions. Their team opted for a spin-heavy attack, including Taijul Islam and Khaled Ahmed, who replaced Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana.The contrasting approaches highlighted the different interpretations of the pitch conditions. India believed the seamers would have an advantage, while Bangladesh favored their spinners.Team Lineups:India:* Rohit Sharma (c)* Yashasvi Jaiswal* Shubman Gill* Virat Kohli* Rishabh Pant (wk)* KL Rahul* Ravindra Jadeja* R Ashwin* Akash Deep* Jasprit Bumrah* Mohammed SirajBangladesh:* Shadman Islam* Zakir Hasan* Najmul Hossain Shanto (c)* Mominul Haque* Mushfiqur Rahim* Shakib Al Hasan* Litton Das (wk)* Mehidy Hasan Miraz* Taijul Islam* Hasan Mahmud* Khaled Ahmed

Bangladesh's top-order collapse in the first innings proved costly in their 280-run defeat to India in the first Test in Chennai, according to captain Najmul Hossain Shanto.Despite an improved second-innings performance, Bangladesh's 234 all out was not enough to overcome their first-innings deficit of 285. Shanto believes the team's inability to form a substantial partnership in the first innings was crucial."We didn't bat well in the first innings," Shanto said. "It was a very important phase of the game. We could have been in a better position if we had at least one [big] top-order partnership."The top order showed some improvement in the second innings, with openers Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam adding 62 runs. However, Shanto believes they need to spend more time at the crease."It is important to spend the time in the wicket but it wasn't enough [today]," Shanto said. "Still, it will help for the second Test. It was very important for the openers to put on 62 runs. That's one thing we can look forward to in the next Test match."Shanto scored his first Test fifty in 11 innings, but he believes he could have done better."I think everyone has a different plan. I hope they (India) will plan differently in the next match," he said.Despite a nervous start in the first innings, Shanto adjusted well in the second, attacking R Ashwin and reaching his half-century off 55 balls. However, he struggled against Mohammed Siraj on the fourth day."The morning session was tough today. The way Siraj was bowling. They were all bowling really well," Shanto said.Bangladesh's openers showed promise on the third day, but their inability to convert starts into substantial scores remains a concern."It goes without saying that you need to start well and once you have faced 20 or 30 balls, you get a bit of idea of what's happening," batting coach David Hemp said. "You want to go on from that, especially when you scored 30 or 40 runs."While the openers' mini-fightback and Shanto's knock provide some confidence, Bangladesh's top-order failure in the first innings will continue to haunt them until they find a solution.