Bangladesh Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said he is returning to leadership with “clarity and full independence” as Bangladesh prepare to face Ireland in Sylhet on Tuesday.

Bangladesh played their last match five months ago against Sri Lanka in Colombo.

Najmul, who had stepped down from captaincy during the Sri Lanka tour in June, was persuaded by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to continue leading the red-ball side through 2027.

“I spent those months away from captaincy in a relaxed way and enjoyed that time,” he told reporters in Sylhet.

“But when the board spoke to me, I felt that Bangladesh cricket is bigger than me as an individual. I had to think about what the team needed, not just what I wanted,” he added.

The BCB’s vice-president, Faruk Ahme,d was tasked with convincing Najmul to stay on, assuring him of full freedom in decision-making.

The left-hander said that promise, and the involvement of former cricketers on the board, gave him confidence to return.

“When senior former players give advice, it’s for the good of the team and for me personally,” he said. “I respected that and felt it was right to put the team before myself.”

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Najmul also indicated that communication issues that led to his earlier resignation had been resolved.

“The board has spoken openly about what problems might arise and how we can address them. Everything is now clear,” he said, adding that he has already discussed coordination with T20 captain Litton Das and ODI skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

“We three captains sat together to talk about how to take Bangladesh forward across formats. I’m confident the board will give us the support we need,” Najmul said.