Taijul honoured by Shakib’s support, urges future generation to surpass him

Bangladesh left-arm spinner Taijul Islam said he feels honoured by Shakib Al Hasan’s public praise but insists that performance — not milestones — remains his only motivation as he continues climbing Bangladesh’s Test wicket charts.

Shakib congratulated Taijul on social media after the latter overtook him to become the fastest Bangladeshi and joint-fastest left-arm spinner (alongside Rangana Herath) to reach 250 Test wickets. Taijul said recognition from a teammate of Shakib’s stature carries special weight.

“Shakib bhai is from my country. When someone does something good for the nation, a congratulatory post feels like a form of acceptance,” Taijul told reporters following Bangladesh’s 2-0 Test series sweep over Ireland. 

“Many people have posted for me — Shakib bhai too — and it feels great when a big player shares positive messages about you.”

He added that such support only strengthens his desire to deliver consistently. 

Shakib tipped Taijul to reach the 400-wicket landmark in Tests, but the 32-year-old brushed aside talk of numerical targets.

“Maybe Shakib bhai has an estimation looking at how many Tests we play — that I might get close to 400. Inshallah, I will try my best to fulfil that expectation.”

Taijul also said it is too early to predict which spinner might eventually surpass his achievements — but he hopes someone does.

“It’s difficult to say now. When someone gets 100–150–200 wickets and still has a long career left, then you can predict. But I always want the next generation to go further,” he said.