Shanto To Become Full Time Captain!

Does the absence of some of the senior and iconic players make the Bangladesh dressing room a better place? After a "successful tour" of New Zealand, coach Chandika Hathurusinghe didn't explicitly state that, but he did mention that "the environment in the dressing room is much better."

Following a 1-1 Test series at home, Bangladesh traveled to New Zealand to play three ODIs and three T20Is. New Zealand came out on top in the ODIs with a 2-1 victory, but Bangladesh's win in the third ODI marked their first-ever victory over the hosts in New Zealand in this format. The T20I series ended in a 1-1 draw.

Amongst the white-ball games, left-arm seamer Shoriful Islam was consistently impressive, while Najmul Hossain Shanto, leading the team in the absence of Shakib Al Hasan, showcased his proactive approach on the field and received praise from his coach.

"After the third T20I, Hathurusingha expressed, "This young group had no fear and wanted to compete in the middle. Additionally, Shanto's leadership was outstanding. He demonstrated excellent tactical decision-making and effectively communicated his expectations to the players."

We have been focusing on the fundamentals for a longer duration than before.

That response, in response to a question about the reasons behind Bangladesh's surprising success, prompted a query about whether a relatively young team, lacking players like Shakib, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Mahmudullah, performed better.

Hathurusingha dismissed the notion that the absence of senior players affected the team's attitude. He emphasized that these players enjoy playing cricket and the team environment has improved because of clear communication, as mentioned by Shanto. Additionally, the players believe in their abilities and do not fear the competition.

Shanto, who is only 25 and still new to his role as national captain, did not perform at his best with the bat during the ODIs and T20Is. However, he demonstrated impressive composure as captain. Thus far, he has only led the team in the absence of senior players, but could this change in the future?

Hathurusingha suggested that the Bangladesh selectors will seriously consider this possibility.

Shanto's compelling evidence has convinced the board to regard his viewpoint as a significant factor in their decision-making process.