Just chill, chill, just chill. It won’t be completely surprising if Mominul Haque vibes with this famous Bollywood number.
The Bangladesh Test skipper was all smiling and joking with his teammates during their Dhaka Premier League match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, when the situation warrants anything but. Mominul has recently been under pressure both as a batter and more importantly as a captain but unlike many others, he hasn’t chosen to gone under a shell.
“Why will I be pissed off?’ he asked first thing when he sat with Cricbuzz for an interview. Just like his cheerful self during the DPL game, he was more than happy to discuss his present and future.
“I am just chilling and probably that is the only way out for me because there is no point looking at things differently. I am sure this too shall pass,” he said. “I have seen many highs and lows in my career. You will be praised to the sky one day while you'll be at the receiving end on another but if these things dictate you than you are in trouble.”
Mominul said that he was pretty pleased to receive backing from none other than Mashrafe bin Mortaza after the opening Test in Durban.
“Mashrafe bhai called me after the opening Test and told me not to worry about anything. I was very pleased to get a call from him, honestly,” he said.
Bangladesh Test campaign went disarray after the fourth day’s play of the opening Test, when South African spinner Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer pulled the strings and demolished the opposition inside first hour of the fifth morning.
Mominul hardly had any explanation apart from stating that it was a crime to give away wickets to spinners but their approach in the second Test was nothing much different, leading him to admit that perhaps Bangladesh aren’t very good players of spin after all. cricketers.
In the second Test at Port Elizabeth, Bangladesh came up with a completely different approach from what had brought dividends for them in New Zealand’s Mount Maunganui, where they had earned their maiden Test win in New Zealand.
“Look, the wickets in New Zealand and South Africa were different and I feel we had to come up with a different approach. You just cannot defend all the time when the ball is turning,” said Mominul. “There is a feeling that defending is the only way out but you have to understand the context of the game and that dictates the approach. We had to do something different to unsettle the spinners and I think it was the only way out.
“Maybe you are pointing out Tamim bhai’s aggression but he has gotten his success in one way and just because I am the captain, I can’t change his game. When an opener can take on bowlers the way he did, it’s good. When he gets towards the hundred, he won’t be playing in the same way and his (Tamim) approach is different to say that of Joy or Liton.
“We adopted a strategy in Mount Maunganui because we lacked experienced batsmen except me and Mushfiq bhai. Everyone has a different role. When you have a young team, you have to change strategies. For me, batting-wise, Test cricket means you get your feet in position before leaving the delivery or you go back before leaving well. If it is a half volley, you play your shot. If it swings, you can use your feet well to leave them alone. If it’s an inswinger towards the stumps, you can use your feet to play it off your legs. If there are bouncers, you take your time. Everyone’s game plan varies, mindset is very important.”
