Taijul Islam could lose his Sylhet Test place as Simmons calls his form ‘hugely concerning’

Simmons says fitness is not the worry

“It’s hugely concerning because he’s one of the major spinners we have in the team,” the Bangladesh coach told reporters after training. He also described him as “a major weapon that we have in this team.”

Taijul went for MRI scans before the first Test, and CricTracker linked his trouble to a left shoulder injury. Simmons believes that has cleared: “he’s throwing well, he’s bowling full bore, he’s bowled full practice yesterday.” Asked about a reported tendon tear, he left it to the medical staff and said only that Taijul had “a little bit of trouble in UAE”.

Five wickets in four Tests, none in Mirpur

Just one of those five came in Abu Dhabi, and none in Mirpur, according to The Daily Star. Bangladesh expected him to deliver in the fourth innings there, and instead their spinners went wicketless as West Indies chased 170 to complete an eight-wicket win.

The paper also points to the 48 overs he bowled in the fourth innings against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi as a possible strain on his arm. His last omission from a home Test was the second Test against South Africa at Mirpur in 2015.

What leaving him out does to Bangladesh’s XI

Asked whether Bangladesh might pick two right-arm spinners, Simmons said: “It is something that you have to think about.” Those two would be Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Nayeem Hasan, the off-spinners in the 15-man squad. Nayeem took four wickets in the first innings at Mirpur.

This also feeds the other big selection call. The report that Bangladesh could play Ebadot Hossain or Taskin Ahmed in place of a spinner did not say who would go. On these numbers Taijul is the obvious candidate, though that is our reading rather than anything the team has said. Bangladesh changed their side late before the first Test, so nothing is certain until the toss.

West Indies can’t lose the series, and Sammy knows what that means

The mood in the other camp is very different. West Indies have won one Test series and drawn one this year, so they will finish a calendar year without a series defeat for the first time since 1994, The Daily Star reported. “We already achieved that because we can’t lose the series,” coach Daren Sammy said.

He wants more. Sammy said captain Roston Chase told him a 2-0 win “would be a good Christmas present for us”, and Sylhet is the last match of their World Test Championship cycle, with West Indies eighth in the table. There is a personal edge as well. Simmons was in charge of West Indies when they last won a Test series 2-0 in Bangladesh, in 2021, and he and Sammy won the 2016 T20 World Cup together as coach and captain.

What happens next

The XIs come at the toss on Thursday, and the Test runs to 9 November. Bangladesh then have the first Test against South Africa at the Wanderers on 15 November.

Market watch

• Bowler markets set before the team sheet may still assume Taijul plays. Wait for the XI.
• If he sits out, Mehidy and Nayeem carry the spin overs, so their wicket lines are the ones to recheck.
• A draw gives West Indies the series 1-0, which leaves Bangladesh needing to force a result. Read series prices with that in mind.

For more, see the latest match predictions, our team guides and upcoming fixtures in the match centre.

Top image: Photo: আফতাবুজ্জামান / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons