No pressure about equalling AB de Villiers' world record: Mominul Haque

Mominul Haque is just a fifty away from equalling AB de Villiers’ world record

Bangladesh’s Momimul Haque, who is on the verge of equalling AB de Villiers’ record of fifties in most consecutive Test matches, has said that he is not thinking about any record. Mominul currently has scored fifties in eleven consecutive Tests and a half-century against India will make him only the second batsman after De Villiers to have made a fifty in 12 consecutive Tests.

"You remind me of it [the record] but then I forget about it," Mominul was quoted saying by ESPNcricinfo.

"I don't feel pressure. I will not think about it after you all go from here. I will try not to remember it next time too."

Mominul’s scores in the last 11 Test matches are as follows: 181 and 22*, 47 and 126*, 8 and 50, 13 and 100*, 51 and 12, 3 and 56, 53 and 0, 35 and 54, 48 and 131*, 80 and 21, 13 and 68. He is currently level with Sir Vivian Richards, Virendra Sehwag, and Gautam Gambhir in this run.

The left-handed batsman praised De Villiers highly, saying that he is a masterful batsman across all forms of the game and that he can’t even think of competing with the South African great.

"I am nowhere near him [de Villiers], you know he is the king of all forms of cricket. I don't think of myself as his competitor. I am not thinking about who I will sit next to, or not. I will try to achieve a similar target that I have had in previous matches. I will prepare similarly so that I can fulfil the expectation of the public and my own target."

Momimul added that he won’t change anything and his natural game will continue, but he still needs to improve his game in the other formats.

"It is not about whether I accept something or not. I am doing well in Tests so some people are saying I have become a Test player. They will praise me if I do well in other formats. But I don't want to think too much about it. I just need to improve where I have gaps in my game."

Ahead of the only Test match against India, Momimul stated that the Fatullah pitch will be on the slower side and should favour the batsmen.

"I think the wicket will be on the slower side. I will see on Wednesday how the wicket behaves. I don't get wickets much. I try to play in this way."