Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Najmul Hossain Shanto were central to Bangladesh’s historic 9-wicket victory over Australia in Darwin. Tanzid struck an immaculate century, while Shanto led with an astute 84. Both stars share a vital connection: former Test batter Hannan Sarkar, who mentored Shanto in multiple teams, observed Tanzid from an early stage as a coach or U-19 team selector. Speaking exclusively to TIMES of Bangladesh, Hannan reflects on their triumph, Shanto’s leadership, and Tanzid’s Test temperament.
Tanzid and Shanto didn’t just drive a historic win—they both broke your 23-year-old record of 76 on Australian soil. What goes through a coach’s mind watching his students eclipse his own benchmark?
It is obviously a matter of great pleasure. The record belonged to me because Bangladesh did not play a Test in Australia for such a long time, so naturally there is a sense of pleasure in seeing this happen.
I have coaching experience with Tanzid, and I have worked much more extensively with Shanto. Their performances not only highlighted them as players, but also gave me satisfaction as someone who has worked with them.
The board invested a lot in Shanto over the years, and now that investment appears to be paying off. How do you see his development?
When someone is smart, it becomes easier for him to shine in cricket. Cricket is not only about what happens on the field. There are many activities off the field as well that people may not notice. Shanto has that off-field man-management quality. He does many things behind the scenes that people watching from outside may never see.
What are some examples of those qualities?
Things like uniting the team and bringing everyone together. It is also about knowing how to get the best out of a player, sharing your experience with him and finding the right approach to extract his best performance.
These things are not always visible on the field. We see Shanto giving the ball to a bowler or advising a player during a match, but there are many things that happen behind the camera. Those things are necessary for a captain.
I have seen these qualities from close range while coaching a team he played for. His smartness and man-management skills are among the reasons he has been proving himself as a captain.
Tamim showed great temperament. He did not rely on the aggression he is usually known for. Did you expect him to play with that level of patience and grit?
I know Tamim, and I know he can play that way. I have seen him do exactly this in longer-version cricket.
At international level, we have mostly seen him play with intent in white-ball cricket over the last four or five years. But in Australia, he adjusted himself according to what the situation required.
He has now been playing international cricket for a considerable period, and that experience helped him. It allowed him to reproduce at international level the kind of performances he had previously produced in the NCL and BCL. So, his innings was not surprising to me.
What kind of career do you think Tanzid can have in Test cricket over the next few years?
When you gain an experience like this so early in your Test career, expectations naturally increase. But knowing the kind of boy Tamim is, the way he leads his life and the way he stays committed to cricket, I would say we can expect a long Test career from him.
Looking at the 2026-27 World Test Championship cycle, what kind of results do you think Bangladesh can produce?
Reaching the final looks difficult from here, but perhaps not impossible.
I do not want to think about that or make any comments on it yet. I think it is still too early.
When we won an away Test series in Pakistan, similar questions were raised. But I do not think we should judge the whole scenario based on one series.
We have just won one match, and there is another Test coming up. So I do not want to think too far ahead at this point. But, of course, I hope for the best.
