Captaincy Call? Why Taijul Islam Might Be Bangladesh’s Best Bet in Tests Right Now

In the noisy orchestra of Bangladesh cricket, Taijul plays more like a quiet cello than a crashing cymbal. He isn’t the entertainer. And, he won’t trend because of memes or mic drops. In recent times, however, he has raised his voice by putting his name forward for the Bangladesh Test captaincy. With Najmul Hossain Shanto resigning amid tough performances and boardroom affairs, there is now an available desk for someone to potentially lead the team. And Taijul thinks he is the man for the desk.

Consistency Speaks Louder Than Charisma

Taijul is not flashy. He does not draw a box-office draw like Shakib nor carries a marketing brand like Mushfiqur. What does he bring? Reliability. In an age of uncertain red ball fortune in Bangladesh, comparable to the erratic traffic of Dhaka, Taijul is reliable, both in selection and performance.

He is one of a select few players who are guaranteed members of the side in the playing XI. We have seen since the Sri Lanka series in 2021 that Taijul’s bowling has matured through both age and travel. He was once an overseas bowler who could be quite leaky, but now he has become much tighter and smarter and is much more patient. He can vary his pace quite well and has perfected the guile of deception–that is the kind of guile that a captain must possess to make conditional bowling changes when the pressure is on.

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The Argument for Split Captaincy

Now that Mehidy Hasan Miraz is leading in ODI cricket, the Bangladesh Cricket Board looks intent on following through with separate captains in the different formats. This idea of separate captains isn’t exactly a new concept either; teams including India and England have been doing it for ages. Given the crowded international schedule Bangladesh faces, separate captains may not be a new idea; maybe it’s just a necessity now.

While Mehidy preps for the glare of the white-ball spotlight, Taijul’s quiet case in the longer format waits in the shadows. He knows how to work through the Test grind: he’s played 45 Tests. He recognizes the evolution of a match across five days. He is also less likely to miss games for franchise commitments or repeat injuries, which hurt the Shakib and Tamim eras. BCB might well find it’s a better bet to pick someone steady rather than someone shiny.

Leadership Is a Mindset, Not a Microphone

Taijul’s recent interview resonated with me. He didn’t sell himself with any desperation but was calm and assured. “There’s nothing I can’t do,” he said—and not arrogantly, but with earned conviction. He discussed vision, and it was evident he is focused on the long-term and thinking about creating a team over two years. That’s not talk; that’s leadership.

He spoke of trust—the trust that a squad needs in their captain to uphold plans even when things do not come together straight away. To be completely frank, Bangladesh cricket needs a reliable captain. A captain who is about building, not branding.

There’s more to Test captaincy than ceremonial tosses and scripted interviews—it’s the art of steering a team through five days of war. It’s about an outcome. Taijul Islam, with time, experience, and because of his calmness, skill, and cricket mind, might be the surprise choice for the Bangladesh red-ball reset.