‘To become champions in WTC is a dream’

June 13, 2025

Sports Reporter :

Captain of Bangladesh Test Cricket team Najmul Hossain Shanto said, ” To become champions in World Test Championship (WTC) is a dream.” Shanto spoke at a press conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in the capital’s Mirpur on Thursday.
The first batch of Bangladesh Cricket squad left the city for Sri Lanka on Thursday. A total of ten members including players, coach and supporting staff left the capital on the same day. Rest of the members of Bangladesh Test squad will leave the city today.
Bangladesh will play two Test matches against Sri Lanka and three One Day International (ODI) matches and three Twenty20 International (T20I) matches against the Islanders.
The first Test match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will be held in Galle on June 17 to June 21. The second Test match between the Tigers and Sri Lanka will take place at Colombo on June 25 to June 29. The two Test matches are part of World Test Championship (WTC).
The three ODIs between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will be held on July 2, July 5 and July 9. The three T20Is between the Tigers and Sri Lanka will take place on July 10, July 13 and July 16.
After completing the Pakistan series ( June 1), Bangladesh Cricket squad got few days to take part in the practice session as they also observed the vacation of Eid-ul-Azha.
Shanto said, ” If I think to become the champions in the WTC, it will be a foolish expectations. I think it is better to advance step by step. My target is to perform a better cricket in the next two years. I hope Bangladesh will play in the final of WTC one day.”
Shanto also said, ” We have to win our home matches. We finished seventh in the points table of WTC in the last year. We want to become four to five in the points table of this year. Last year we collected 45 points. We want to achieve 60 points this year. If we can do this, I think it will be a success for me as a captain.”
Bangladesh Test Cricket squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Shadman Islam, Anamul Haque Bijoy, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Mahidul Islam, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Vice-Captain), Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Hasan Murad, Ebadot Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana and Khaled Ahmed.