Aware of reality and expectations, Jamal wishes best for team

Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuiyan finds himself in an unenviable position ahead of their crucial Asian Cup qualifier against Singapore on Tuesday. Despite being a long-standing figure in the team, Jamal's place in the starting eleven is far from certain.

In the previous qualifier against India in March, although named in the squad, he did not get a chance to step onto the pitch. The situation remains just as competitive this time, if not more so, especially with the presence of high-profile midfielders like Hamza Choudhury and Shamit Shome.

Jamal, who made history in 2013 as the first expatriate player to join the Bangladesh national team from Denmark, has been a pillar in midfield for over a decade. However, in recent years, questions around his form and fitness have made his full 90-minute appearances increasingly rare. In the last qualifier match against India in Shillong, coach Javier Cabrera did not even use him as a substitute.

In his preferred role as a defensive midfielder, Jamal now faces stiff competition. Against India, that position was held by Hamza Choudhury, the former English Premier League player. In the recent friendly against Bhutan on June 4, Jamal did start alongside Hamza in midfield, but the equation has changed again. Bangladesh are likely to hand a debut to Shamit Shome, a midfielder with international experience for Canada, further complicating the selection scenario for Jamal.

Acknowledging the current reality, Jamal expressed his desire to play, even if it's only for 10 minutes. But his focus, he emphasised, is on the team's success. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, the 35-year-old said: "I always want to play, even if I get 10 minutes or 60 minutes or whatever I get, I want to play. I want to play because this is my job. If you can't …..it's painful. At the end of the day, it is the team who comes first, So, whoever is playing, I just want to wish them the best and I want to encourage them to play the best."

Bangladesh are looking to earn their first win in the group by defeating Singapore and claiming all three points at home. Coach Javier Cabrera made the team's intentions clear in Monday's press briefing, underlining the importance of a win to stay in contention for qualification. Singapore, however, are likely to play an aggressive game, and Jamal believes that scoring early will be key to unsettling the visitors.

"If we can score first, keep a cleansheet, it will be better for the team. That is an important point. If we win 1-0 or 3-0, in the end of the day, we will get three points and that is target for tomorrow match," Jamal said.

The veteran midfielder is aware of the expectation surrounding this game and the heightened hype regarding Bangladesh football. He, however, apparently doesn't want to get fazed by the expectations.

"Of course, we can feel it (pressure and hype), of course we can see it. However, during the play, we have to forget it, we have to think ourselves, think about the team, think about how we can win the match," Jamal exclaimed.