Mominul agrees on need for restructuring
Head coach Russell Domingo had said during a press conference on Friday that he was prepared to risk struggling for a period of time with new faces in the squad in order to reform and reinvent Bangladesh’s Test squad.
Following Bangladesh’s defeat in the first Test at Indore by an innings and 130 runs, captain Mominul Haque agreed with Domingo’s observation yesterday and said it would be important to have a discourse and approach with patience regarding such matters.
“If there is an opportunity for me to sit with the coach, it will provide a good structure to improve in Test cricket. Results will not come immediately; some time is needed. We have to approach with patience. It’s a positive aspect,” Mominul said at the post-match press conference yesterday.
Many international sides have separate teams for the three different formats and Domingo spoke of ‘siphoning out’ players for the longer format. Mominul agreed that players with the right mentality to play Test cricket were needed.
“To be mentally strong, you have to think about good aspects all the time. If there is a different structure for Test cricketers then it would come in very handy in the future. When you are thinking of one format, you will focus on that format all the time. Ultimately, those ideas will form in your head automatically. I think that’s the way to go,” Mominul reiterated.
Bangladesh were bundled out for 150 and 213 in the first and second innings respectively as the Indore Test ended inside just three days. However, Mominul said they missed opportunities despite the obvious quality of the India pace attack.
“There was obviously a threat. At the same time I think we failed in our batting. They are not the number one bowling side in the world for nothing and the threat was there. We couldn’t use our opportunities and missed out.
“You have to understand that against an opponent like that, you have to bat with a lot of patience. You have seen the game and you will find that there were very few loose deliveries. The openers and the top order need to bat with more passion,” he said about the batting approach of the side, which caused the debacle.
If experience was an issue, playing more Tests is an obvious remedy.
“We are definitely happy [to be playing the Test Championship]. It is a big opportunity for a player who plays regular Test matches. If the ICC arranges them this way, we will get more Test matches. It will be better for everyone.”
The second Test, a day-night affair under lights in Kolkata, will be more challenging due to the pink ball getting more swing than the red ball. But the Indore pitch had a lot of swing on offer and Mominul did not quite entertain the idea of the pink ball swinging any more. The Tigers are scheduled to start practising from 4:00pm today to prepare for the pink ball Test.
“We need to get as much practice under lights as possible. I feel that there won’t be more movement than there was here. We have had some good practice playing against the swinging ball here. Maybe it will be a challenge and it has to be taken positively,” Mominul said.
