Najmul Hossain speaks at a press conference
Najmul Hossain speaks at a press conference

Najmul Hossain unwilling to continue as captain

Bangladesh cricket team captain Najmul Hossain has reportedly informed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that he has decided to leave the captaincy following the ongoing Test series against South Africa.

The development came just eight months after he took up the position. A senior BCB official confirmed the news to Cricbuzz, saying, “Yes, he informed us that he is not ready to lead the side after the South Africa series.” 

Confirming the decision, Najmul himself told Cricbuzz, “Let's see what happens (as far as leading Bangladesh is concerned) because I am still waiting to hear it from the president (BCB).”  

BCB president Faruque Ahmed is expected to return home within days, after completing a meeting of the international cricket council (ICC) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and subsequent Umrah in Saudi Arabia.  

Najmul was declared captain across all formats in February, following his provisional role in captaincy in a number of matches. 

According to Crickbuzz, after the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies in June, Najmul attempted to leave the T20 captaincy. Now he has decided to step down from captaincy in all formats. 

In the recent past, Najmul's captaincy has come under scrutiny from several quarters after a prolonged lean patch.