Mominul Haque

Mominul Haque is Bangladesh's answer to a proper Test specialist. Over the course of his career, the left-handed top-order batter has been the pillar of Bangladesh's batting. Mominul's only major batting downturn was when the BCB appointed him Test captain shortly after the ICC banned Shakib Al Hasan in 2019. Mominul though led Bangladesh in the historic Test win over New Zealand in Mount Maunganui and is credited for resurrecting fast bowling in the Test team during his captaincy.

Mominul's work ethic has gained him many fans, including several of his team-mates who have openly marvelled at his constant ability to refine his batting tuned to the needs of the time. His first major achievement was the eleven consecutive Tests in which he scored a fifty, a run that stretched from 2013 to 2015.

Mominul started his career with a bang, his 181 the highest maiden century scored by a Bangladesh batter. He would score 126 in the following Test against New Zealand, and finish up becoming the first Bangladesh batter to score 300-plus runs in a two-match series. He would repeat it twice in his career, against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka in 2014 and 2018. It wasn't until 2017 that his Test average would drop below 50, and not until 2022 when it came below 40. Mominul was also the first from Bangladesh to score hundreds in each innings of a Test. He is also one of only six batters, including the likes of Don Bradman, Kumar Sangakkara and Jaques Kallis, to score at least seven Test centuries in a single ground, the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.

Mominul's Test captaincy arrived suddenly, so much so that the BCB had to send his blazer to India shortly before his first Test as captain. It was a baptism by fire in Indore and Kolkata, where India hosted their first day-night Test. Bangladesh then lost to Pakistan in Rawalpindi before bouncing back at home against Zimbabwe. There was no respite for the rest of 2021 before 2022 began wonderfully in Mount Maunganui. Mominul struck 88 in the first innings and then hit the winning runs in the fourth innings. He led superbly, particularly using his fast bowlers Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain and Shoriful Islam in short bursts.

Mominul, however, lasted five more Tests as a captain, when he couldn't cross 13 runs. Bangladesh lost four of those five Tests, and it was becoming a situation where he couldn't handle the pressure from all sides, particularly the BCB top brass. He has taken up a senior role playing under Najmul Hossain Shanto's leadership, supporting the new captain at times quite vocally.

Mominul hails from Cox's Bazar, a town known for the world's longest beach. He left the laidback beach life for the BKSP, the country's biggest sports institute. He was part of the BCB's age-group structure, before impressing in domestic cricket. Mominul is known for his dry sense of humour, which he has often used in interviews and press conferences.