Taijul Islam of Bangladesh appeared to be fed up with queries about fellow left-arm orthodox Shakib Al Hasan.
Taijul took up a 10-wicket haul to lead Bangladesh to a 150-run victory against New Zealand in the first of two Tests in Sylhet, before adding five more scalps in the Tigers’ defeat in the second Test in Dhaka.His effort won him the title of Player of the Series.
Taijul, who has been a prominent figure in Bangladesh’s Test scene for the past decade, particularly at home, appeared to have grown tired of being asked about Shakib whenever he appeared in front of the media following impressive performances.
“Look, the media is always thinking about how to obtain more viewers. I’m not sure why Shakib bhai’s name continues appearing when he isn’t even on the team. The main thing is whether or not we are playing. Sachin Tendulkar is no longer a member of the Indian cricket team. Wasim Akram is not playing for Pakistan, therefore aren’t those teams winning matches without him?” he queried The Daily Star on Sunday, when asked if he felt overshadowed by queries about Shakib.
“I’m not concerned about being in the spotlight. Everything will gravitate towards me if my team benefits from my performance. Everyone nowadays seeks for big brands, but do they truly study and verify my statistics? “I’m not sure because the media values opinions more,” he continued.
Taijul is Bangladesh’s second-highest wicket-taker in Tests, with 192 scalps in 44 matches, trailing only Shakib Al Hasan, who has 233.