Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha stated that stand-in skipper Najmul Hossain has proved himself worthy of taking over the captaincy mantle in the Bangladesh side and also backed him to be appointed as long-term captain.
Shanto’s short but sweet continued tenure as stand-in captain for Bangladesh has been fruitful. Replacing the stalwart Shakib Al Hasan as skipper, Shanto led the side to their maiden ODI and T20I wins against the Blackcaps, New Zealand, away from home.
Not only that, but Shanto also proved his resilience and prowess in the Test format as well previously, as he led Bangladesh to victory against the Kiwis at home in Sylhet as well.
With Al Hasan’s availability a looming question, there exists a need for the Bangladesh Cricket Board to figure out how to replace the stalwart skipper and move ahead for the future. And Shanto’s recent showings are promising signs for Bangladesh who are in the hunt for appointing yet another possible long-term captain.
“I think they (BCB) will strongly think about that (long-term captaincy). Of course, it’s a board decision and Shanto has shown enough evidence for them to take him seriously,” Hathurusingha said after the lastT20I at Mount Maunganui on Sunday.
The Bangladesh coach also attributed the positive environment and energy that Shanto brings to the dressing room as yet another reason behind his well-deserved appointment as the new skipper of the side.
“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,” he added.
“I think the environment in the dressing room is much better because the communication is very clear, as I said, from Shanto. And they know they are good enough players to compete and I think that’s why there is no fear in the players’ mind,” he added.
Hathurusingha also praised Shoriful Islam for his impressive performances across all formats in the recent past. Especially in the absence of mainstay pacers such as Taskin Ahmed and Edabot Hossain, Islam took over the reigns and has delivered when asked for.
Hathurusingha though also made mention of leg-spinner Rishad Hossain and the tremendous potential he possesses to thrive in white-ball cricket.
“He (Shoriful) has been outstanding for us in all three formats recently. Eight months ago he was not in the team, he was not playing any formats, and now he is leading bowler for us so very impressive. Another positive is I think Rishad. We were craving for a leg spinner,” he added,” Hathurusingha said.
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