Taijul Islam is another in a long line of left-arm spinners that Bangladesh have produced, but in his first international season he has come up with two outstanding displays which have made him stand out. In only his third Test, against ZImbabwe in Mirpur, he took 8 for 39, the best figures by a Bangladesh bowler in Tests. A month later, making his ODI debut against the same opponents at the same venue, he took a hat-trick, becoming the first bowler ever to take a hat-trick on ODI debut.

Taijul, who hails from Natore, a northwestern district in Bangladesh, came into prominence with 55 wickets in the 2013-14 first-class season, winning himself first a place in the Bangladesh A side on its tour to the West Indies in May 2014, before making a second trip to the Caribbean a few months later, for the senior side.

He began playing in his hometown, before playing in the Rajshahi league and eventually, like every aspiring cricketer, played in the Dhaka league system. He made his first-class debut for Rajshahi Division in the 2010-11 season. He played just one and two matches in the next two seasons, before becoming a regular choice for his divisional side in 2013-14. He got wickets in buckets, taking seven five-wicket hauls in 19 innings. He has also played two seasons of the BPL, taking 11 wickets in 12 games, all for Rajshahi.

His impressive performance in the 2013-14 season, and the suspension of Shakib Al Hasan since July 2014, made him a Test cricketer as he made his debut in the first Test in St Vincent in September the same year.
Mohammad Isam