Taijul draws level with Shakib but demands his own identity

The most frequently asked question to Taijul Islam, familiar to anyone following Bangladesh cricket, resurfaced on Friday in Dhaka. This came after the left-arm spinner drew level with Shakib Al Hasan at the top of Bangladesh's all-time Test wicket-takers list during the second Test against Ireland.

For much of his career, Taijul has operated in Shakib's shadow. When Shakib played, Taijul fielded questions about his role alongside him; when Shakib was absent, he had to explain how he would fill the void left by the irregular Test player since 2017.

Taijul finished the day with 4 for 76 to match Shakib's tally, yet the press conference remained fixated on the duo, despite statistics suggesting the conversation should have moved on long ago.

Taijul's career splits into two phases. From his debut until the 2017 South Africa tour, he played 15 Tests, taking 54 wickets in 28 innings at 34.09. In that period, Shakib claimed 66 wickets in 30 innings across 17 matches, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz took 43 wickets in nine Tests. Taijul was effectively the second spinner then.

Once he assumed the lead role on the South Africa tour, his transformation began. Since then, he has played 42 Tests and taken 192 wickets in 73 innings at 30.31. Over the same stretch, Mehidy has 166 wickets from 80 innings in 47 Tests, while Shakib, with far fewer appearances (20 Tests, 35 innings), has 58 wickets. Nayeem Hasan has 48 wickets in 25 innings from 14 matches.

In Shakib's absence, Taijul has been Bangladesh's frontline spinner, claiming 152 wickets in 52 innings at 29.34 across 31 Tests. His overall record includes 17 five-wicket hauls, two ten-wicket match hauls, and a career-best 8 for 39, with an economy rate of 3.05.

When asked if it was time he was recognised on his own terms rather than in relation to Shakib, Taijul hinted at fatigue with the comparison.

"Taijul is Taijul in his own place," he said after stumps. "Now, why these questions keep coming up to me, I don't know either. But if I talk only about myself, that won't be right.

"As Taijul, your name only comes up when you perform. I am performing, that's why I'm being picked."

Taijul rejected the suggestion that he feels underrated, despite the media narrative shaped by Shakib's presence.

"No, no, there is nothing to answer here," he said. "First of all, I look at performance. And the word 'underrated', whenever I come to the media, this word comes up repeatedly. I think it is better if such a thing does not come up repeatedly because this issue is not raised by anyone else. Maybe it spreads through the media, this one is underrated, that one is underrated. So the more this word comes up, the more it will spread. It is better not to spread these things."

He added that he has no fixed target for Test wickets. "No, there is no number I am eyeing. If Allah gives me 700, I am willing to take 700."

Taijul's journey is one of patience, resilience, and mastery of craft—a bowler who evolved from a supporting role to leading Bangladesh's spin attack. Now, with one more wicket, he stands on the brink of owning a record no Bangladeshi has held before: the highest wicket-taker in the nation's Test history, no longer sharing the honour but holding it alone.