‘Najmul is bold as a leader’

Sports Desk:

Bangladesh completed their two-match Test series against New Zealand on a mixed note considering they tasted their maiden Test win over the tourist by earning a massive 150-run win in Sylhet while their ploy to use spin friendly wicket backfired in the second Test at Dhaka as they visitors leveled the series by handing them a three-wicket defeat at home of cricket.

Habibul Bashar, one of the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) selection panel members and former national captain, was impressed with the way Najmul Hasan led the side on his maiden stint as the Test captain.

“He (Najmul) is bold. Definitely it will be a too early call because he just started but he carried him well in the field if we consider it was his first Test as a captain. It is very important for a captain to give a statement and I think he has done it. During the last couple of days when there were lots of talks regarding the wickets he gave his piece of mind that can be accepted or not accepted but the fact is he is clear about his thoughts and it is very important for a captain,” Habibul told the Daily Sun regarding their new Test leader on Sunday.

“So far, I felt he has a strong mentality which is very important for a captain. There are certain on field decisions that he could have taken in a different way but he will learn and so far so good and he was impressive in the field as a captain,” he said.

Habibul further said that soil of the wicket in Dhaka plays a big part considering it cannot be prepared the way like some other parts of the country adding that they are making rank turners intentionally.

“We would obviously want to have a spin-friendly wicket against New Zealand but the only problem is when we try to prepare a spin track in Dhaka it turns out that way and probably it has got something to do with the soil. If we had tried to make a similar wicket in Chattogram or Sylhet it wouldn’t have been the same case. So, I don’t think there is anything intentional regarding then wicket in Dhaka,” he added.

“I don’t think anyone would like to play in this kind of wicket because if you want to have an ideal wicket it is the wicket in Sylhet where there is something for everyone. What I understand that because of soil when Mirpur wicket is prepared to assist the spinners it turns out that way,” he said adding that he is sure that Taijul, who picked the man of the series award in the series, is now coming out of the shadow of Shakib Al Hasan as he is now turned the leader of the spin unit.

“Once Muralitharan (Muttiah) retired Rangana’s (Herath) record became unbelievably good like he (Rangana) was picking five wickets and 10 wickets and all those. So for Taijul the case is quite similar (like Rangana) at least that is what I feel,” said Habibul adding that they have always picked Taijul to grab wickets and not to play second fiddle to Shakib.

“No, I don’t think so because Taijul is picked in the team for grabbing wickets. Whenever we pick Taijul we pick to earn wickets for us because his bowling style is like that,” he said, adding that the Sylhet win was massive.

“One of our best wins definitely and we played the game on a good wicket at Sylhet. I think we played a really good game and we won against a World Champion team and that too in a comparatively good wicket and definitely it is one of our best wins,” he concluded.