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Bangladesh lost their third Test in a row when they were defeated by South Africa in the first Test of the two-match series in Dhaka on October 24. It was also their third loss in a row at home under Najmul Hossain Shanto’s captaincy, who was made all-format captain of the side in February 2024.
After that loss, Shanto shared his desire to relieve himself of the burden of captaining the team and focus more on his batting, which is getting hampered by the extra responsibility. It was widely reported that the last of the two Tests against the Proteas team in Chattogram would be the last for Shanto, the captain.
Taijul Islam is the most experienced Test player in the team, having made his debut in 2014 only after Mushfiqur Rahim, who has no desire to lead the team anymore, raised his hand to become Bangladesh’s next skipper in the longest format.
"Having played for 10 years, I'm fully prepared [for captaincy]," Taijul said in the pre-match press conference on October 28 (Monday). The second Test begins on October 29.
Clearing his mind off the problem faced by Shanto and the likes of Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal before him, Taijul said that those guys might have faced the problem of expectations because of their mindset, and he has a different framework altogether.
"Some players may be affected by outside events, while others can continue their role with calmness. I try to stay relaxed and focus on my work. But within a team, I can't say how each person reacts; everyone's mindset is different. We're not involved in management or board meetings," said the 32-year-old.
So far, the left-handed spinner, with 204 Test wickets and two first-class fifties to his name, has not led Bangladesh in any format.
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