With Shanto absent from the press conference, Taijul has expressed his interest in the captaincy

Typically, on the day before a Test match in Bangladesh, the captain of the host team attends the pre-match press conference. However, that tradition was broken today at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram when skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, who recently indicated a desire to resign from captaincy in all formats, did not appear for the press conference ahead of the series-deciding second Test against South Africa, set to begin tomorrow.

Shanto had been practicing batting in the hot and humid conditions of Chattogram with his teammates but skipped the press conference, leading the Bangladesh team management to send left-arm spinner Taijul Islam in his place. Journalists had hoped to hear from Shanto, especially following reports about his reluctance to continue as captain.

While Taijul started by addressing routine questions about the upcoming Test, he soon faced numerous inquiries regarding Shanto's potential departure from the captaincy. Initially, Taijul claimed he hadn't heard anything about that but acknowledged that players might struggle with off-field issues emerging just before a match, a trend that has become common in Bangladesh cricket over the past year.

"What matters is how the team performs on the field," Taijul stated. "Some may be affected by it, while others stay relaxed and focus on their own work. Personally, I try to stay calm and do my job. However, how each player handles the situation can vary."

When asked about Shanto's potential resignation, Taijul noted, "I don’t have an answer to that. Neither I nor the other players are involved in management or board discussions about the captaincy or coaching."

Taijul expressed his readiness to take on the role of captain if given the chance. "Having played for 10 years, I believe I'm fully prepared," he concluded the press conference with a smile.

Meanwhile, some players, including pacers Nahid Rana and Hasan Mahmud, were absent from today's practice session. Zakir Hasan, who played in an NCL match for Sylhet against Chattogram, is expected to join the team following the conclusion of that game.

Bangladesh currently trails the two-match series 1-0 after losing the opening Test by seven wickets at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium last week.