When Najmul Hossain Shanto announced his willingness to represent Bangladesh in all three formats ahead of the inaugural Test in Sylhet, few expected him to lead the Tigers to a convincing victory in his maiden assignment as captain in the format.
But he did it in style, leading from the front and becoming the first Bangladeshi skipper to make a Test century on his debut.
Shanto has long been regarded as the most likely candidate to head the Tigers in the future. However, his variable form in his early years, which he now appears to have overcome as he developed into a reliable fighter with the willow in the Tigers’ top order, has always prevented him from achieving the captaincy that everyone has tipped him for since the age-level days.
In Bangladesh cricket, how often has a promise faded after only a few glimpses? The answer to this is both known and terrible.
Will this be true for Shanto? Doubts may arise simply because this is Bangladesh cricket, where wonderful things occur infrequently.
And it is for this reason that the second Test against New Zealand, which begins today in Mirpur, is more than just another game for Shanto. The fact that the match is part of the latest World Test Championship cycle adds weight to the contest, but for the 25-year-old, it is an opportunity to show that he is deserving of a promotion from his current position as stand-in skipper.
“Half of the work is done. “We’ll have to work for five more days to get that victory,” Shanto said after the win in Sylhet, demonstrating that he knows how to keep his emotions in check even after a convincing 150-run victory over one of the top Test nations. More importantly, it conveyed the message that Shanto is not one to back down after a burst of brilliance – a quality that any leader must possess.
What drew Shanto’s attention and appreciation in the Sylhet match was not only the Tigers’ overall complete performance in a format in which they have usually struggled to impose control, but also how he made his presence felt in the middle.
Setting those aggressive field positions, making timely and effective bowling changes that paid dividends on the majority of occasions, and dialling down from his over-aggressive batting approach in the first innings to a more time-appropriate one in the second during the Sylhet Test – all of these impactful executions were bound to see Shanto hailed as the next long-term captain. Even the case of Mominul Haque scooping up wickets whenever he was called upon demonstrated the captain’s skill in taking a risk and daring to try something different when the chips were down.
What bodes well for Bangladesh cricket, which is in disarray following a World Cup disaster, is that Shanto, according to head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, has already acquired the mould of a true leader, “commanding respect and demanding the standard” from his players.
All of these words of praise and admiration, however, may disappear if Shanto fails to reproduce his captain-like demeanour on the pitch in the following five days. For someone like Shanto, who knows firsthand how important consistency is in all aspects of life, the Test that begins today will be his ultimate test if he truly wants to be captain for the long term.