October 27 marked a historic day for the Bangladesh cricket team. The reason was positive, which unfortunately is not something we’ve been accustomed to saying. My previous article questioned vehemently whether we even deserve this elite status of playing test match cricket that was bestowed upon us over a decade ago. But that’s another story, one which you may sink your teeth into at a convenient time.
Twenty-two-year-old Taijul Islam made history on that day by becoming the first Bangladeshi bowler to claim eight wickets in a test innings, with figures of eight for 39 off 17 overs. Sure, it was against Zimbabwe, the second weakest team in test cricket (no guesses who the first are). Sure it was at home, in front of a raucous crowd driving the boys on. But take nothing away from the performance – it was one any left-arm orthodox spinner would be proud of.
Built on deception and flight, his wickets were more about outsmarting the batsmen than them going after him and getting out to loose shots. To clarify, he earned those wickets. He took a backseat to an incredibly motivated Shakib Al Hasan in the second match, but still returned with five wickets from the two innings, which was enough to give Bangladesh a second comfortable victory and a much-needed series win.
Handpicked by Khaled Mashud as a bowler who offers “something different,” Taijul has had a meteoric rise to his career, testament to his consistency and ability. With over 100 wickets in 20 odd first-class matches, and 23 wickets now in four test matches, with another five wicket haul in West Indies, along with his record breaking feat at Mirpur, it’s no surprise that the whole country is excited about how far this young boy from Natore can truly go.
This is where we must take a step back, take our foot off the pedal, and observe. Anyone remember Sohag Gazi? The wonder boy who scored a century and took five wickets in an innings? Or Shamsur Rahman, who scored a great century against Sri Lanka and hasn’t really found that magic touch again?
Or (and I may be pushing it here) what about Tamim Iqbal himself? He may be one of the pillars of Bangladeshi cricket today, but his unquestionable talent should translate to far better numbers than he currently boasts (though he did make amends with his turtle-paced century at Khulna). Ditto for Mohammad Ashraful, perhaps the most talented batsman this country has ever had. His average of 24 from 119 test match innings is, quite frankly, dreadful.
The people have let their frustration be known, often not so subtly. Expectations are, well, expected! However, cricket in Bangladesh truly transcends all forms of logic and reason. A good performance automatically elevates the players to dizzying heights, becoming overnight legends.
But the same is equally true about poor performances, and the crash down from those dizzying heights can break the resolve of even the most hardened professionals.
There’s no mediation, no middle ground. It’s all black or white – you’re either a hero worshipped or a villain scorned. Such extremity, while scaring the living daylights out of any player not in form, would result in severe confusion as well. “They loved me two matches ago, but now they want me burned at the stake!” Surely this has crossed the minds of several of our players.
And that’s exactly what we cannot let happen with Taijul. Taijul is a free spirit, and his willingness to flight the ball shows a keen sense of adventure and freedom in his bowling. It’s a very rare trait amidst Bangladeshi bowlers, who have always been criticised (and rightfully so) for lacking imagination and courage while bowling, especially in test cricket.
But courage is difficult to muster when the bowlers are constantly afraid of being dropped. An attack-minded bowler will always go for runs, especially an attack-minded spinner which is becoming an increasingly rare feat.
Taijul is a player who, with the right guidance, could become just that – a bowler who will attack and take wickets instead of getting a batsman to succumb to boredom. Will his bowling be allowed to soar (literally and otherwise) or will he too be bogged down like all the others? Only time will tell.