Bangladesh’s most successful Test bowler, Taijul Islam, has looked back on the hardships of his childhood. The son of Natore opened up about his Test career, touching a world record, Shakib Al Hasan’s expectations, and life outside the field in a candid conversation. Life was full of struggles and his upbringing was difficult, but the joy of cricket kept him going. Today, that same Taijul Islam stands as the country’s leading Test wicket-taker. In an interview with bdnews24.com, he reflected on his early challenges, the journey of becoming a cricketer, his Test career, equalling Rangana Herath’s world record, Shakib’s belief in him, and much more.
When you are playing or just finishing a match, you often don’t realise the magnitude of your achievements. Now that some time has passed, Taijul has finally had a moment to think. How does it feel to be Bangladesh’s most successful Test bowler?
Taijul Islam: “If you look at it as a milestone, it is definitely a huge achievement. There is no doubt about that. When we are in the middle of a match, the only thing in a cricketer’s mind is to perform well. You don’t get time to think of anything else. The only thought is how to help the team and what I can do for the team. If you start thinking about personal records at that time, it becomes a selfish mindset. On the field, my focus is always on what the team needs and how I can contribute. When that contribution leads to achievements like this, it gives immense satisfaction. In any profession, achieving something big feels good. In our profession, nothing is bigger than team success. When personal achievements help the team win, that joy becomes even greater. I broke a record and the team won — so overall it feels very good.”
Taijul is known for being a calm, low-key personality who prefers to stay out of the spotlight. So how did he celebrate such a big milestone?
Taijul: “Nothing special. I never celebrate too much. I follow a principle — our religion teaches us that when you receive something good, you should remember Allah more. Allah is the One who gives. So when something big comes into your life, there is no need for excessive excitement. Accept it normally and stay grateful. Too much excitement never brings anything good — that’s what I believe. Some people can do a lot more in terms of celebration and publicity. That is their choice. But I am not interested in those things. That’s just who I am. I feel that if I overthink such things, they might stop coming to me. I try to stay the way Allah has kept me.”
How did his family and close ones react?
Taijul: “Of course they are very happy. Especially my family, my wife — they are all delighted. My kids don’t fully understand yet, but they recognise me on TV and enjoy seeing their dad do well. My parents are naturally very happy. Relatives and friends have congratulated me, and I’ve received so many messages and prayers.”
Taijul is now not only Bangladesh’s leading Test wicket-taker but also the fastest left-arm spinner in Test history to reach 250 wickets, a record he shares with former Sri Lankan great Rangana Herath, who was also his coach. Did Herath reach out?
Taijul: “Yes, he messaged me and congratulated me. He wished me well for the future. He is always happy to see any of us perform well. Whenever we do well, he sends messages. He always praises all our spinners. When he was here, he worked very closely with me. At home, I usually work with Sohel bhai (Mohammad Sohel from BCB). He understands my action very well. If anything goes wrong, he can immediately spot it and fix it. I have also benefited a lot from Herath. He is a wonderful human being and still advises me whenever I ask.”
Which congratulatory message touched him the most?
Taijul: “Every wish means the same to me. If someone writes even a single word for me, I value it. There is no ‘more good’ or ‘less good’ when it comes to wishes. In the dressing room, everyone wished me together during the team meeting. They gifted me a stump from the match. You all saw the messages on social media. Everything is valuable to me.”
Did he keep the match ball?
Taijul: “No, usually they give the ball when someone takes five wickets. Since I took four wickets in both innings, I didn’t take it. I could have if I wanted, but I didn’t think of it then. Later my wife said I should have kept it because it was a special achievement. Then I asked Shahriar Nafees bhai if it was still possible.”
Let’s go back to the beginning of his career. Taijul debuted in 2014 when Shakib was absent. He hadn’t played much first-class cricket then. He took five wickets on Test debut and later took 8 for 39 in his home debut — still the best figures by a Bangladeshi. What was that time like?
Taijul: “Honestly, back then I understood very little. All I knew was that I had to bowl and land the ball in the right areas. That’s it. I never thought about performance or being dropped. I just enjoyed bowling. If you overthink, things get complicated. I didn’t think of anything else. I wasn’t mature enough to understand those things. I just wanted to help the team.”
Much has changed since then — especially his bowling.
Taijul: “Experience teaches you everything. The more you play, the more you learn. Anyone who says experience doesn’t matter is wrong. Playing two years of international cricket and ten years is completely different. Even if a senior player isn’t performing, a small suggestion from him can make a huge impact. Our senior players have always done this. Mushfiqur bhai still gives advice all the time. This is very important for a team.”
Though he doesn’t possess an extraordinary “arm ball” like Mohammad Rafique or Shakib, he has built success through angles, variations in pace, use of the crease, turn, and patience. How did he manage to go so far?
Taijul: “From the time I started bowling spin, I used to bowl a lot. Sometimes two-three hours straight. That built my habits. Then when I bowled long spells in matches, variations started coming naturally. Grip, hand position, and the head — they form a combination. Once that happens, you can bowl top spin, side spin, everything. I might not have had a special delivery, but I had many small things that worked well together.”
His role also changed depending on whether Shakib was playing.
Taijul: “When Shakib bhai wasn’t there, I had to prepare to bowl 50-60 overs. When he was there, it was usually 20-30 overs. Bowling is all about partnership. Sometimes he attacked and I had to contain, sometimes it was the other way round. That’s how it has always been.”
Now let’s revisit his childhood. Taijul is Bangladesh’s leading Test bowler today, but he grew up in severe poverty.
Taijul: “Yes, we struggled a lot. A lot. My father worked a very ordinary government job in horticulture. It was difficult for him to run the family. Things became worse when he took a high-interest loan for my sister’s wedding. He couldn’t repay it. He left his job early to take the pension money, but even that wasn’t enough. Those days were extremely tough. I was probably 8-10 years old then. Later my father started selling old clothes. Money was always tight. But I am grateful — my parents never forced me to sit in the shop or earn. They let me play cricket because I loved it. That was a huge support for a poor family. When I started playing district Under-13 and later Under-15, my father always encouraged me. Traveling from Natore to Rajshahi for practice was hard, and we barely had money for transport. But my father managed somehow. Every day creditors came to our house. I used to think — if only I could repay my father’s debts someday. That was my biggest wish.”
How did cricket begin?
Taijul: “I played tennis ball cricket in the neighbourhood. One of my uncles heard an announcement about Under-13 trials at the stadium. He took me there. That was the first time I saw and touched a real cricket ball. It felt heavy and different.”
Was he always a spinner?
Taijul: “No, I used to be a left-arm pacer with the tennis ball, but I was very small in size. Manju chacha, who ran a club, told me, ‘You are too small to bowl pace. Start bowling spin.’ That’s how I became a spinner.”
He went through the age-level system but also faced setbacks, including missing out on the Under-19 World Cup. Later he played first-division cricket in Dhaka, earned a place in the BCL in 2014, took 37 wickets in four matches, and earned his national call-up.
Education was difficult because of financial struggles.
Taijul: “I tried to study. I studied at Maharaja JN High School but couldn’t continue much due to various problems. I barely passed SSC. After that, cricket became everything.”
Today he is successful in his profession and the leading Test wicket-taker in the country. How does he feel when he looks back?
Taijul: “I think about those days a lot. It feels good that I achieved something in the field I loved. I thank Allah. Those days felt endless. Time moved slowly. Now it feels like everything changed so quickly — like a blink of an eye. I truly believe that if you work hard and stay committed, you will succeed. Everyone has some talent. But if you just sit on it, nothing will happen. You must work hard and try. Put your trust in Allah…”
