Shanto says he ‘enjoyed captaincy last few series’, but what’s next?

Bangladesh all-format skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto was frustrated with the top-order batters after yet another disastrous performance, this time in the Chattogram Test. Brewing in the backdrop is his captaincy stint after news broke ahead of the second Test that he has expressed wish to step down from captaincy.

The BCB president Faruque Ahmed had said that he would have a talk with Shanto but what forces are behind Shanto's wish, could not be surmised as he said that captaincy does not put pressure on his performances.

Was the manner of Bangladesh's recent performances a problem? Tigers had recently upstaged Pakistan at their homesoil, sweeping the two-match Test series 2-0, a historic result on its own account.

But then two bitter defeats in Chennai and Kanpur against India, followed by staggering defeats in India in the T20I series, might have added to Shanto's burden. Further batting collapses ensued in Mirpur Test against South Africa just more than a week later. The disastrous nature of results only compounded by extreme batting failures in Chattogram Test on a flat deck where loads of runs were scored.

Asked about the batting failures in the two innings, Shanto was the first to remind that the two innings in Chattogram were not the beginning of the curve in terms of batting collapses, especially in Tests.

"Not just these two innings," Shanto reminded at the press conference today in Chattogram's Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium after an innings and 273-run loss.

"For a long time it's happening to us. In Test cricket, if you don't have top-order partnership then it makes life really difficult for the batters coming later. I don't know how the batters at the top-order prepare themselves but if this goes on, these results will continue," he said, hinting at the manner of defeats.

One could say that the nature of Bangladesh's performances have had an effect on Shanto's willingness to step down.

However, he cited that captaincy is something he has always enjoyed.

"I have said that before. Even when I was playing age-level cricket, I said that I enjoy it [captaincy]. The last few series I captained, I enjoyed myself on the field. It's always been something which has a feel-good factor to it," he said.

He also reiterated that captaining the side has not become a burden for his batting side of things. Mominul Haque had stepped down from captaincy after talking to the then board president Nazmul Hassan Papon, who had said that Mominul's return to runs was of more importance to the team than him being captain. Shanto's case at least from his personal point of view, appear to be different.

"While I was batting out there today, not once I was thinking that I was the captain. I don't feel that just because I am the captain, I would have to do everything. I watch the ball and bat and enjoy my batting. What I am thinking of is how I can make a big score," he said.

Asked if captaincy has had an effect on his recent performances, he added: "Till now I haven't felt that."

It was learned that Shanto wanted to step down from T20I captaincy first but later expressed wishes to step down from all formats.

BCB sources inform that in the board meeting on Monday, there had been discussions on whether Shanto can be convinced to stay on as captain. But directors also acknowledged that if someone has made a decision, it would be hard to revert from that decision. 

Shanto today said during the press conference that he is yet to make a decision and he will talk to the BCB president on the matter. That he has not expressed in his press conference after the match that he will step down, also suggests there are things that needs to be discussed. 

BCB president Faruque Ahmed had said in a press conference today that he was in Chattogram to talk to Shanto about the captaincy issue as well. Something happened in the background which has obviously left its traces. The BCB president in fact discussed possible captains during the press conference.

The BCB president left a hint while talking to media today. "If you think he is talented, you have to bring him back and have to know what happened. There is also another thing, if someone is unwilling to continue and it's always in his head, and given that captaincy is the kind of job that if you are out of form and you don't want to do it for several reasons since there is social media, some have mentors or big brothers that they listen to…there are many elements at work," Faruque said.

Many things remain unclear but a decision is likely to come when Shanto finally speaks to the BCB president. But if Shanto enjoys his captaincy on the field, what happened outside the field, would become a big topic in the coming days.