‘We have to win our home matches’ – Najmul Hossain Shanto outlines goal ahead of new WTC cycle

Bangladesh are preparing to kick off their ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27 campaign with a two-Test series against Sri Lanka starting June 17 in Galle. Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is determined to build on the momentum gained during the previous cycle and push for more consistent performances, especially at home.

The tour of Sri Lanka will be the beginning of a new cycle for the team. The series opener at the Galle International Stadium will also be the farewell Test of Angelo Mathews, a stalwart of Sri Lankan cricket. In the previous WTC cycle (2023–25), Bangladesh won four out of 12 Tests. Notably, three of those wins came overseas.

However, their struggles at home caught significant attention with just one win in six Tests, with five defeats denting their overall standing. Addressing the media before the team’s departure, Shanto was clear about the plan for the upcoming cycle and emphasised for winning more home games.

“We have to win our home matches. In the last cycle [WTC 2023–2025], we performed really poorly at home. If we had won more matches there, it would have reflected on our overall number of wins. So, our goal is to improve in that area. We have specific plans to improve. Since we did well in away matches last time, that will give us confidence this year. If we can continue to perform in away conditions, it will help us grow in this cycle,” Shanto said during a press conference.

The goal is to win two or three more matches than before: Shanto

The southpaw revealed that the side needs to win more matches than before and needs to take small steps forward to find success in the nine-team tournament. 

“It’s a big dream, and it would be a bit naive to think that far ahead right now. If we can progress step by step, that would be great. If you look back, we won one Test before the last cycle. But in the last cycle, we had won four. That’s progress. This time, the goal is to win two or three more matches than before. If we can take these small steps, then why not? Someday, Bangladesh will play in the final. But it’s important that we achieve better results than in the last cycle,” he added.