3 reasons why Bangladesh appointing Najmul Hossain Shanto as captain is the right decision
After a mediocre World Cup campaign and plenty of other issues plaguing the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Najmul Hossain Shanto has been named as the captain of the side across all three formats.
BCB president Nazmul Hassan has given Shanto leadership duties for a year and as is always the case, this announcement has plenty of caveats. It is very interesting to appoint a new leader in the T20I format, where Shakib Al Hasan was expected to lead the team till the T20 World Cup in June, but clearly, the BCB seems to have a plan in place. At least we think they do!
On that note, we take a look at 3 reasons why Bangladesh appointing Najmul Hossain Shanto as captain is the right decision.
#3 Frequent problems with Shakib Al Hasan
Shakib is Bangladesh's greatest ever cricketer – he has more than 12,000 international runs and has been part of the side for over 17 years now. And, he is also one of the most prolific all-rounders of his generation, having picked up 457 international wickets across three formats for Bangladesh.
However, despite these accomplishments, he has had a troubled history with the board and there have been times when he has pushed the line. He has faced a range of disciplinary actions for various reasons, including threatening a groundstaff member during a Bangladesh-New Zealand ODI in 2011, to flipping his middle finger towards the crowd in 2014.
He even copped a ban and fine for an obscene gesture on live television during an ODI against Sri Lanka. He had to face a six-month ban for threatening to quit international cricket in a text to coach Chandika Hathurusingha.
The team, especially the one that has been struggling in recent times, wants a captain who can draw a line and not toe it so frequently. With him entering politics, it makes sense to give the mantle to a player who is more invested in the team and who wants to make an impression with a young side.
#2 Respect of the dressing room
Najmul Hossain Shanto was captain of the side that toured New Zealand for a bilateral series and as per coach Chandika Hathurusinghe, "the environment in the dressing room is much better" when the senior players are not around. The Sri Lankan also said that the tour was a successful one.
This is a young Bangladesh side and clearly, selectors want to give the mantle to a player who understands the dynamics between players. Although there are senior players in the side across the three formats, the head coach believes Najmul Hossain Shanto handled himself very well and was clear in the way he communicated his plans to the rest of his team members.
"I think the attitude of the players... this young group had no fear and want to compete in the middle. The other thing I thought - leadership of Shanto was outstanding. He was tactically spot on and very clear with the messages to the players and what he expects from them," Hathurusinghe told reporters at the end of the tour.
#1 Chance to lead from the front, drive his message
Najmul Hossain Shanto takes over a side that will take on Sri Lanka in three T20Is, three ODIs, and two Tests at home during March and April of this year. They will then jet off for the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA in June. This will give the new captain enough time to understand the role of his players and drive his own ethos in the side.
With the bat, the left-hander has been quite consistent in the recent past – and as a top-order batter, it will be imperative for him to lay down the marker with the bat as well. A young side that has only underwhelmed in the recent past could well turn a corner under a new leader and this is why Najmul Hossain Shanto’s role will become very crucial. This might also power him on to be a more prolific run-scorer since he is better than his average of 30.82 in both Tests and ODIs.