Taijul Islam — a consistent member of Bangladesh’s Test team for many years. He has retained his spot purely through performance. Most recently, against Zimbabwe on Monday (April 28), he claimed his 16th five-wicket haul in an innings. Yet somehow, Taijul doesn’t seem to fit into the so-called “superstar” bracket of the country’s cricket.
After Taijul’s outstanding performance against Zimbabwe, former Bangladesh national team captain Tamim Iqbal wrote about him on social media (Facebook):
“At this moment, he is the most underrated bowler in the world. Look at the statistics of other bowlers these days, and you will understand what I mean. Another five-wicket haul, well done Taijul.”
Taijul has always been one of Tamim’s favorites. Last October, when Taijul reached the milestone of 200 Test wickets, Tamim congratulated him by writing:
“Congratulations Taijul Islam. In the context of Bangladesh, taking 200 Test wickets is an outstanding achievement. Achieving 200 wickets in just 48 Tests is an even greater feat. Unfortunately, in Bangladesh cricket, he doesn’t always get the attention and respect he deserves. Despite consistent performances, he often doesn’t receive the hero’s status he should. Yet, he has kept doing his job, day after day, year after year.”
Comparing Taijul to great bowlers, Tamim had also written:
“It’s our misfortune that Taijul doesn’t receive enough recognition in world cricket either. Yet he has reached 200 Test wickets with fewer matches than many of the great bowlers. If he were a player from a bigger cricketing nation, there would probably be much more discussion about him.”
On that day, Tamim also called Taijul one of the best spinners in world cricket over the past decade, saying:
“Taijul’s statistics show that he has been one of the best spinners in world cricket over the past 10 years. His performance, focus, and dedication make him an invaluable asset to Bangladesh cricket. Congratulations again, Taijul. The journey still has a long way to go.”
