Top-order batsman Mominul Haque expressed his surprise after he was appointed captain of the Bangladesh A team that will tour India later this month for three one-dayers and two three-day matches. The left-handed, however, does not think he will give in to the pressures of captaincy.
While talking to Dhaka Tribune yesterday, Mominul said pressure is part and parcel of international cricket and it will become hard for anyone to survive in the arena if one is unable to tackle it.
“I think it is better to play street cricket if you cannot handle the pressure in international cricket. Being named captain of the team is encouraging for me. The responsibility is huge and at the same time the opportunity will allow me to learn more about the game and bag experience. I look forward to using the opportunity,” said Mominul.
The three-member national selection panel, led by chief Faruk Ahmed, had hinted of naming a strong Bangladesh A team for the 18-day tour of India. The statement was kept as the 15-member squad feature as many as 14 national cricketers.
Out-of-favour cricketers like Anamul Haque, Al Amin Hossain and Shuvagata Hom would be looking to capitalise on the tour in order to script a comeback to the national side sooner rather than later while front-line players like Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman and Taskin Ahmed would be eager to get some game-time under their belts.
Mominul said he is more than happy with the squad and termed it an “excellent” one. Hailing from the country’s coastal area Cox’s Bazar, the 23-year old believes that batting is the main strength of this side but added that there is a lot of potential in the bowling department too.
“There is [Arafat] Sunny and [Saqlain] Sajib in the spin attack. Both of them are quality spinners. The pace attack has Rubel [Hossain], Taskin and Al Amin, who are the leading pacers of the country. I am very happy with the team and I believe it has all the potential to bag the best results from the tour. All we need to make sure is we do our job well,” said Mominul, who is fondly referred to as “Mini” in the Bangladesh dressing-room.
Bangladesh A’s tour of India will not only help the Tigers in their preparation for the Australia Tests next month but also give the Indians some match-practice ahead of their upcoming home series against South Africa.
Keeping the South Africa series in mind, the Indian A side will feature middle-order batsman Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan among others.
“Personally the tour is a very good platform for me to prepare myself for the Test series at home against Australia next month. You see, the wickets in India are competitive and the side we will be playing against will feature a few of their top cricketers. So this will allow me to test myself and find out things that I need to better or rectify. And say if I manage to score some runs, that will allow me to get some confidence before facing Australia,” Mominul explained.
