Bangladesh’s experienced left-arm spinner Taijul Islam stated on Monday that he is fully prepared to take on the role of Test captain after a decade of international cricket.
The topic arose following a report from Cricpulse revealing that current all-format captain Najmul Hossain is reluctant to lead the team after the ongoing home series against South Africa.
To avoid discussion of this matter during the series, the team management opted not to send Najmul to the pre-series press conference.
Najmul plans to have a conversation with BCB president Faruque Ahmed to make a final decision.
He was appointed all-format skipper for one year in February 2024, but various names are being considered as potential replacements across different formats.
Taijul, who indicated he was unaware of Najmul’s intentions regarding his captaincy, added his name to the list of possible candidates.
“I haven’t heard anything about Najmul wanting to step down from the captaincy; that’s not part of our role, and I’m not fully informed on this,” Taijul told reporters at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.
“After 10 years of playing, I feel ready for captaincy,” he said.
Taijul acknowledged that some players might be influenced by external pressures, especially regarding high-profile players like Tamim Iqbal or Shakib Al Hasan contemplating retirement mid-series.
“This is a team game.
The most important thing is to keep the team in good shape.
Some players may be affected by outside events, while others can maintain their focus,” Taijul explained.
“Personally, I try to stay relaxed and concentrate on my responsibilities.
However, within a team, I can’t predict how each individual will respond; everyone has a different mindset.
We’re not involved in management or board discussions.”
He emphasized that batters need to step up in the second Test against South Africa, as the team aims to salvage the series after losing the first match by seven wickets in Mirpur.
“Our goal remains the same: we will play to win.
We’ll assess the match conditions as the game unfolds, but our focus will be on teamwork—batting, bowling, and fielding.
We’ll do our best to secure a victory,” he noted.
“Every match presents an opportunity.
From that perspective, I see this as another chance for our batters.
While we haven’t performed to our expectations as a team, some individuals have excelled in different matches.
If we can build two or three partnerships and have one or two players score centuries, our target will be significantly higher, and everyone is working hard and fully committed.”
Taijul also expressed his willingness to share his knowledge with other cricketers, provided they are open to his advice.
“As a senior player, I can implement strategies, but it depends on how much others choose to take from me—whether they are teammates or fellow countrymen.
I feel that in various situations on the field, like field positioning when a spinner is bowling, the captain sometimes asks for my input, and I try to assist.”
“Nayeem’s record is strong.
Just because he didn’t take wickets in one match doesn’t mean he won’t perform well in the future.
This can happen occasionally, but I believe he will deliver good performances ahead.
Miraz did well against India and Pakistan, and Nayeem has also performed admirably in Chattogram and Mirpur.”
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