WI vs BAN: “If He Needs A Break, It Can Happen”- Shakib Al Hasan Opines On Struggling Mominul Haque

Bangladesh Test captain Shakib Al Hasan talked about the struggling batter Mominul Haque and opined that if the former Bangladesh captain needed a break, it can be organized. This comes after Mominul managed 0 and 4 in the first Test against West Indies in Antigua which the visitors lost by 7 wickets.

He has made nine consecutive single-digit scores in Test cricket, a run of form that has already prompted him to resign as Bangladesh captain, and could very well see him stepping even further back.

“It is tough for me to say, but I speak to him [Mominul] regularly and we will talk again. If he thinks he needs a break, it can happen. It is not ideal to take a decision just after a match. We have a break for two days. On our next day of training in St Lucia, we will think about what’s best for the team,” Shakib was quoted by ESPNCricinfo as saying.

Coupled with Najmul Hossain Shanto’s poor form and Mahmudul Hasan Joy blowing hot and cold, the visitors were blown away by West Indies in Antigua. They even lost their first four wickets for less than 100 runs in all but two of these nine innings.

“You Cannot Guarantee That A Lot Of Changes Will Be Good For The Team: Shakib Al Hasan

Shakib was also asked whether Bangladesh will make any changes for the second Test in St Lucia. He felt that the team needed more runs, especially in the first innings, but also pointed out that not many changes are possible as they do not have many technically correct batters in the squad. Shakib himself was the best batter for Bangladesh in the first Test scoring twin fifties in the match.

“You cannot guarantee that a lot of changes will be good for the team. But if you look at the numbers, we have lost four wickets for less than 100 runs in 12 out of the 16 innings. That is pretty worrying. Only a concerted team effort can get us out of here. I know we can get out of this. We have been here before, so I believe we can come out.

We don’t have a lot of technically-sound cricketers. Everyone has technical problems. But they have to find out ways to score runs, stay at the crease. It has to come from an individual level. But it (coaching) is not my area. It is for the coach to discuss. It will be difficult for me to coach and captain at the same time,” Shakib added.

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