|| CF DESK ||

After Bangladesh's three-day loss in the second Test against South Africa, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto was unavoidably asked about his captaincy during Thursday’s press conference, especially following BCB President Faruque Ahmed's remarks during the match about considering Mehidy Hasan Miraz if Shanto wanted to resign.

Shanto, responding to Faruque's comments, deflected the matter back to the board, saying, “I think the President has already spoken with you all. So, I won’t add further comments. Maybe the board will provide an official message.”

When asked if he had spoken with the BCB President about stepping down, Shanto replied, "No, nothing has been discussed so far."

Having always maintained that he enjoys captaincy, Shanto was asked if he’s considering stepping down to focus solely on batting. However, Shanto dismissed the notion.

"I’ve always enjoyed this role, even back when I played age-level cricket. I find a sense of fulfillment in captaincy, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed leading the team in recent series."

Shanto repeated that captaincy doesn’t add extra pressure on his batting.

“While batting today, it didn’t even cross my mind that I was the captain. I don’t feel I have to do everything as the captain; I just focus on watching the ball and batting. I genuinely enjoy batting, and my main goal is simply to score big runs” he added.