Mominul Haque steps down as Bangladesh's Test captain

Under pressure following a prolonged lean spell with the bat, Mominul Haque has resigned as Bangladesh's Test captain. The decision comes just days after the national team’s series defeat at home against Sri Lanka.

Mominul, who took over as Test captain in October 2019, has had a wretched time with the bat of late. The 30-year-old registered scores of 2, 9 and, 0 during the two-match Test series against the Lankans.

He has a Test average of 16.20 in 2022 after six matches. The middle-order batter did not enjoy a great run as captain either. Under him, Bangladesh won only three Tests while losing 12 and drawing two.

Mominul was quoted as saying in an ESPNcricino report:

"When you play well, even if the team doesn't win, you are still in a position to motivate them. I felt that captaining a side is tough when I am not scoring and team is not winning. I think it is best to quit the captaincy."

He added:

"I feel I should focus on my batting. It wasn't a hard decision. A captain has to contribute otherwise it brings a lot of pressure. The board president told me to stay on but I don't want to be the captain. "

Mominul’s decision comes just a day after media reports stated that the Bangladesh Cricket Board had asked him to make a decision on his Test captaincy future. BCB chief Nazmul Hasan had a meeting with the skipper after the team’s 10-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka in the Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

Under Mominul, Bangladesh won an international match in New Zealand for the first time, when they got the better of the Kiwis in the Mount Maunganui Test at the start of the year. However, they have since tasted defeats against South Africa and Sri Lanka.

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Shakib to take over from Mominul?

Veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan’s name is doing the rounds as Mominul’s replacement. Shakib has had multiple stints as Test captain but has had his issues with BCB earlier. He was also suspended in 2019 for failing to report a corrupt approach.

Further, Shakib’s Test future himself has been a matter of debate in Bangladesh cricket. After earlier requesting for a break from the longer format of the game, he eventually agreed to be part of the Test squad for the series against South Africa. He was also part of the series loss at home against Sri Lanka recently.