But from 2016 onwards, the scenario changed for Mominul. He played two Tests in 2016 and three this year. In fact, Bangladesh only played seven Tests in these two years. Mominul got injured ahead of the second Test against New Zealand in Christchurch in January, 2017, while he was dropped from the Colombo Test in March against Sri Lanka. So in two years, Mominul averaged only 23.2 as he scored 232 in 10 innings. Definitely a drop in standards from the top for Mominul.
Among these five Tests, Mominul played two matches against England (scoring nought and 27 in the first Test and 66 and one in the second) at home while he contested one Test against New Zealand away (making 64 and 23). He played once against India (scoring 12 and 27) away and contested one against Sri Lanka (making seven and five) away.As a Test playing nation, question arises as to why Bangladesh play so less Tests compared to the other teams. That’s a topic for another day, but the point is when the Tigers’ best Test batsman (statistically until 2015) gets the opportunity to play only seven matches over the next two years, then it becomes extremely difficult for him to stay focused, both technically and mentally, in order to compete at the very top level of professional cricket.Fifties in most consecutive Tests: AB de Villiers 12 Viv Richards 11 Gautam Gambhir 11 Virender Sehwag 11 Mominul Haque 11 Joe Root 11
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) August 17, 2017
Also read: Hathurusingha: Bangladesh not only about Mominul
So it is the duty of the Tigers team management to keep the momentum right for a player like Mominul so that whenever a call comes, he can perform well at the top level. One can’t just expect a guy playing Test cricket after eight-10 months and always score tons of runs straightaway. The problem for Mominul is that he was tagged as a Test specialist early in his international career. If we look at other young players like Sabbir Rahman, Mosaddek Hossain and Mehedi Hasan Miraz, they have been gradually introduced in the different formats of the game, while Mominul always has to wait between different Bangladesh Test series’. One fifty in the last six innings is not enough for a player like Mominul to retain his place in the Test team, such logic is legitimate enough. But the question remains, is he given 100% gametime and other facilities to score half-century in every two or three innings against top-quality opposition?
Also read: Mahmudullah and Mominul dropped, Nasir back for first Australia Test
Chief national selector Minhajul Abedin informed that the team management has specific plans regarding Mominul. He is also under consideration for the tour of South Africa in September this year, which is Bangladesh’s next Test mission after the Australia series. Lets say Mominul is selected for that tour; it is highly unlikely for him to go there and score fifties and centuries on fast and bouncy pitches against the likes of Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada, among others. But for Momnul, such kind of scenario is happening quite regularly as there was no “A” team tour for almost two years. So what next for Mominul? What is the solution? That answer must be solved soon but one thing’s for sure, the BCB has a tough task in its hand to preserve the talent and confidence of a player like Mominul.
