Taijul finds his ‘own place’ in Bangladesh cricket

In his 11 years as a Test cricketer, left-arm spinner Taijul Islam has carved out a great career, especially in the context of Bangladesh cricket.

As a left-arm spinner who always played within himself, Taijul has put up effective performances especially in favourable home conditions for a long time and as of Friday, is the country's joint highest wicket-taker alongside Shakib Al Hasan.

Taijul bagged four wickets on Day 3 of the second Test against Ireland in Mirpur, equaling Shakib as the highest wicket-taker for Bangladesh in Tests with 246 scalps. Shakib achieved the feat in 71 Tests while Taijul is playing his 56th.

"It's difficult to say," Taijul said at the post-day press conference about when he first thought he could become Bangladesh's highest wicket-taker in Tests.

"When I became consistent, and gained experience, I grew a conviction that maybe Bangladesh cricket will afford me opportunities for a long time. That's when I first thought that one day I could amass a lot of wickets"

It's ironic that Taijul currently shares the top spot alongside Shakib, a fellow left-arm spinner who has overshadowed his career for years. Taijul started receiving his deserved praise only when Shakib gradually began to step away from the red-ball format.

At the press conference, the 33-year-old said that he wants to leave behind the 'underrated' tag often used in the media especially because of comparisons to Shakib.

"Whenever I face the press, the word underrated is brought up repeatedly. I think it would be better if it didn't come up frequently. Because this issue is not raised for anyone else."

The left-arm spinner has quietly become one of the most successful spinners going around in Test cricket in the past few years without anyone really taking notice.

In the last three years, Taijul is the fifth-highest wicket-taker amongst spinners in Tests with 88 wickets in 19 matches. Australia's Nathan Lyon tops the list with 124 wickets but has played 11 more matches. India's Ravindra Jadeja, second in that list, has 100 wickets and has played nine more Tests.

In the last 12 months, he is the highest wicket-taker among all spinners in Test cricket. In eight Tests, he has bagged 37 wickets. Lyon, second in that list, has 32 wickets and has played three more Tests than Taijul.

Amongst all bowlers, in the space of 12 months, Taijul is the sixth highest wicket-taker. Indian pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj have been phenomenal with 59 and 57 wickets respectively but the former played three more matches than Taijul and the latter has played seven more.

With his numbers speaking for themselves, Taijul is now more assured about where he stands as a senior player and is eager to give back to the team.

"Taijul is in his own place… When you become a senior player, there are many things you can give back to the team. Just talking about your experiences helps a lot of junior players or upcoming players. We got this from Shakib bhai.

"The name Taijul will only come up in discussions if I perform. The main thing is my performance. When I stop performing, maybe, my name will stop coming up."