Shanto: Thinking about the WTC final now would be foolish

Ahead of the tour, Bangladesh Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto spoke to the media in Mirpur. When asked whether Bangladesh could one day dream of playing in a WTC final, with reference to the ongoing clash between Australia and South Africa, Shanto offered a grounded response.

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“That’s a huge dream. If I start thinking that far ahead now, I think it would be foolish. If we can progress step by step, that’s better. Because if you look at our journey— in the first cycle, we won only one match. In the last cycle, we won four. So, there has been some improvement. The goal should now be how we can win one or two more matches than before.” Shanto admitted.

Though cautious about dreaming too big too soon, Shanto did not rule out the possibility altogether. “If we can continue progressing step by step like this, maybe someday Bangladesh will play in the final. But what’s most important right now is how we can perform better than the previous cycle over the next two years.”

Bangladesh finished seventh in the last WTC cycle with four wins, ahead of both Pakistan and West Indies. Notably, three of those wins came away from home, while the Tigers managed just one victory in six home Tests—against New Zealand.

Shanto acknowledged that improving home performances will be key in the new cycle.

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“We really need to win our home games. Last time, we played very poor cricket at home. If we could’ve performed better in home conditions, the win tally could have been higher. So, the focus is definitely on how we can win Tests at home. We’ll have more specific plans for those matches. The confidence from doing well away from home will help.”

The Bangladesh skipper remains committed to steady progress, targeting incremental improvements as his side begins a new journey in the Test arena.