Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha praised stand-in captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, saying the player has shown tremendous enthusiasm in his leadership abilities.
The 25-year-old captain guided Bangladesh to their first-ever Test victory over New Zealand in Sylhet last month, and he backed it up with the first-ever ODI victory against the Kiwis in Napier on December 23.
Shanto, who led from the front on both occasions, has been a reliable contributor for the Tigers in recent years in all forms.
“I see a lot of positives in his leadership and tactical captaincy,” Hathurusingha said today, ahead of the first T20I against New Zealand in Napier on Wednesday.
“I am very pleased with the way he [Shanto] conducts himself and gets the best out of the players while maintaining clear communication.” “Given the way he handled the bowling resources in such a situation and condition, the last game was truly world-class,” Bangladesh coach added.
Shanto was asked to take over as captain in the absence of regular skipper Shakib Al Hasan, who hurt his finger during the ICC ODI World Cup in India, and the cricketer has shown remarkable maturity as a leader both on and off the field since then.
As the team management is prepared to start over in order to prepare for the future, it is critical that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the think tank provide Shanto more opportunities to develop as a leader, a position that he seems to like in challenging circumstances.