Shanto eager to lead in the long haul

Najmul Hossain Shanto said that he is ready to lead the team for the long haul in all formats if the cricket board chooses him as the next leader of the Tigers.

Shanto is set to captain the team in place of the injured Shakib Al Hasan in the two-Test series against New Zealand, set to begin on Tuesday at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

This will be the left-hander's first outing as the Tiger's Test captain. Earlier, he has led the team in three ODIs, including two matches in the recently-concluded ICC World Cup in India in the absence of Shakib.

The left-hander said that he is confident to lead the team in all formats if the opportunity presents itself.

"Personally, I feel that I have the ability to lead the team in all formats," Shanto said in the pre-match press conference in Sylhet today.

"Whoever becomes the captain, if he is given a long tenure then it would be easier for him to make plans. Whoever is named the captain, I believe that if he gets enough opportunities he can achieve something great," he added.

The Sylhet will also kick off the Tiger's campaign in the 2023-25 cycle of the ICC Test Championship.

Shanto said that the team's primary goal in the next cycle will be to win more consistently at home.

"We will be playing 14 Tests, two this year and 12 in the next one. These matches are really important to us, especially, the home matches," said the 25-year-old.

"It's really important for us to figure out how we can win these matches. As a team, this is our first goal. We all also have a goal to compete in matches away from home," he added.

After New Zealand, Bangladesh are set to host South Africa and Sri Lanka at home for Tests as part of the championship.

Shanto feels that the Tigers have enough resources to win against those teams at home.

"With the bowling attack and the batters we have, we are a team that can win at home. It's important to gradually build that winning habit," Shanto said.