‘Here to win title’: Imrul’s leadership mantra

Imrul Kayes, no longer a regular face in the Bangladesh side, has shown impressive leadership abilities in the domestic circuit. It was under Imrul's captaincy that Comilla Victorians clinched the last Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) title. He also guided Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club to their maiden Dhaka Premier League title this season with a game in hand. Icricketer Daily Star's Mazhar Uddin, the 35-year-old cricketer shared his views and leadership philosophy while discussing a few other topics. The excerpts of the interview are below: 

The Daily Star (DS): What is the mantra behind your success as a leader in the domestic circuit?

Imrul Kayes (IK): I had done captaincy in the past but, to be honest, I never got the opportunity to lead on big stages. After getting the opportunity in BPL, I learned that it is important to have team bonding. If you are not able to build the team as a family then no matter how many big stars you have, they won't click as a unit. When we formed the team, we did not have many big names. But my message was clear: that we are not here only to participate as we want to win the title. Initially, some may have taken my words lightly as most of them thought that Abahani will eventually be the champion. I tried to change this mindset and said that 'if they can do it, why can't we?'. I tried to instill this belief in every training session and meeting and it was very important to motivate the team.

DS: How was the standard of the league this season?

IK: If I talk about umpiring, pitch and condition, I must admit that the standard was really good compared to the previous editions. As you know the league gets highlighted even more when you have national players and the national stars were available for the majority of this season. And their presence made the tournament very competitive.

DS: Anamul Haque had a terrific season as he became the first player to score 1000 runs in a season in DPL. Is there anyone else who caught your eyes for their performance?

IK: Definitely what [Anamul Haque] Bijoy did is the reward for his hard work and we all know about his ability as he was very hungry to score runs. I think he has done really well for himself and his performance will surely help him go further in the coming days. Apart from Bijoy, Zakir Hasan and Amite Hasan were very impressive this season and they are surely the players to watch.

DS: You scored over 460 runs in 14 games striking two fifties and a hundred. As a batter, are you satisfied with your performance?

IK: As a batter, I would say I couldn't give my best. I think I missed out on scoring big on a few occasions. But as a captain, I am happy because we lost early wickets almost in every game, and coming in at number three under pressure was not easy. I tried to take the responsibility, led from the front and tried to bat as the situation demanded.

DS: Do you still feel that you deserve a callback to the national team?

IK: As long as I play competitive cricket, my aim will be to represent my country. You won't get success in every tournament or series. But obviously, my first priority is to play for the national team. I try to remain calm these days as probably I have been in and out of the national team more than anyone else and I am used to it.