Bangladesh missing two players in Shakib, says Mominul
Shakib Al Hasan, the regular Test and T20 captain of the Tigers, was banned for a year by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for failing to report bookie approaches in 2018.
Bangladesh National team's Test captain Mominul Haque has said that Bangladesh is missing two players in Shakib Al Hasan and he sees this as an opportunity for the other players to do well.
Mominul said this in a press conference on Wednesday ahead of the Tigers' first Test against India at Indore.
Shakib Al Hasan, the regular Test and T20 captain of the Tigers, was banned for a year by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for failing to report bookie approaches in 2018.
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Mominul said that the team is missing three players in Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal. "We are missing three players in two players. Shakib is two players in one, and then you have Tamim," the skipper added. He also said that it was surely challenging, but also was an opportunity for the rest of the team to do well.
The first at Indore will mark the debut of Mominul Haque as the Test captain along with Bangladesh's debut in the newly introduced World Test Championship. But Mominul is not taking the pressure of being named the leader as he said he will be playing like a batsman as always. "The positive side of captaincy is that your cricket knowledge becomes better," he added.
He also said that getting the duty of leading the team as a junior player was a huge occasion for him. The 28-year old said, "It is a huge opportunity for me as one of the junior players. Not everyone becomes Test captain, so I want to take this opportunity to do something more for the country."
Mominul also added that playing a Test series against India was a huge opportunity for Bangladesh. He added, "Everyone wants to start well here, and on top of it we are playing the Test championship. Makes it a bigger opportunity for the players."
Questioned on the first day-night Test at the Eden Gardens later on the series, Mominul said that it was the same for both sides as none have played a pink-ball Test ever.
The first Test between Bangladesh and India starts on the 14th of November at Indore, with the day-night Test following it up at Eden Gardens on the 22nd of the month.
